What happens if you simply can’t receive the gift that’s being offered to you?
 
During a guided prayer with my kids, I had them imagine being a follower of John the Baptist when Jesus shows up on the scene. 

Out of curiosity and heeding John’s words that this is the One who is mightier than he, baptizing and gifting people with the Holy Spirit, they follow. 

​Then Jesus turns and makes eye contact and asks, “What do you want?  What is your heart’s desire?” 
 
We paused in silence.  Then we took a moment to share our answers.

"I don't know," said my 5th grader, "It's hard for me to think if it's a want or a need."   
"Okay, consider what your heart's biggest need or desire is for this week," I replied.
 
Interestingly enough, my kids both answered the same, “Confidence.”
They went on to share stories of where they felt a lack of confidence, especially with the start of school.
 
I had them close their eyes again and imagine answering Jesus, asking him for confidence and allowing him to respond.
 
My 10th grader shared how Jesus’ response was, “It’s a process.”
She let the scene unfold and replied to him, “I don’t want to have to try hard to be confident, it’s exhausting.”
Answered Jesus, “Maybe trying hard is the problem.”
 
This made her smile.  She was curious as to what it might look like to not try so hard to be confident but simply allow the confidence already in her to be, to surface.
 
My son said, “I couldn’t receive it.” 
I asked him to say a little more.  “I couldn’t take it in, I just couldn’t.”
 
When asked why, he had no idea.  However, when asked, “What is part of you afraid will happen if you receive it?”  (Remember, another part of him wanted and desired confidence.)
He responded, “If I take it in, I’m afraid I’ll take too much.”

This part had a fear that being confident would make him arrogant.  
It helped to  discuss the difference between the two by thinking of baseball players who exude confidence without arrogance. 

We went onto acknowledge that sometimes we have no control over how others perceive us.  Sometimes we have to let them think what they’re going to think.  Unfortunately some may see arrogance where there is simply confidence.  What matters is what is in our hearts.    
 
Once again, the words spoken to my children by Jesus, spoke to me.  Perhaps they speak to you, too.
 
How would you answer Jesus’ question? 
 
Now close your eyes and imagine Jesus’ response (but don’t try too hard!). 
 
Perhaps the gift you are looking for is already within you!  Or if you find yourself struggling to receive the gift being offered, you just might ask, “What is part of me afraid will happen if I receive it?”  

Feeling stuck with a looming decision? 

Stuck in or overwhelmed with a feeling? 

Curious to discover the wisdom in your nighttime dream (perhaps about your looming decision!)? 

Or maybe you resonate with my daughter who recently said, "I just can't do words or thinking right now."

No matter how old you are, it's time to get out the playdough!  (or clay or Model Magic, your choice) 

And no, you do not have to be an artistic type of person!  Let that inner kid of yours who knows how to squish, twist, pull, flatten, bend, and roll grab a handful of playdough.

Now pick one of these 3 practices and see what happens: 
Awareness Examen with Playdough
Notice what literally and figuratively emerges as you enter into this 16th century prayerful review of your day or week. 

1. Hold your lump of playdough or clay in your hands (you might hold it close to your heart) as a prayer of openness to God and to God's wisdom within you.
2. Looking over your day or week, when have you experienced heaviness, darkness, being stuck or blocked? How would you image that moment?  Begin to move and shape the playdough in response to the feelings &/or image.  Your eyes can be open or closed. 
3. When you are ready, stop, and let your creation "speak."  What did you notice in the process? What meanings, feelings, connections stir through your shape/image?
4. Either mash and roll it up into a ball or take another handful of playdough or clay.
5. What moment felt light, flowing, open, or effortless today or this week?  How would you image that moment?  Begin to move and shape the playdough in response to the feelings &/or image. 
6. After a bit of time in the silence, stop and let your creation "speak."  Again, notice what you felt in the process. What meanings, feelings, connections are stirring (or being stirred up) through your creation?
7. How do the two images "dance"?  Does the heavy speak to the light (or vice versa)? What wisdom is being offered to you?  Give thanks for whatever you receive.

Moving Through Feelings with Playdough
Rather than trying hard to let go, discover what happens when you move through your emotions.

1. Decide to set a timer or "go with the flow."  
2. Connect with whatever feeling you are stuck in and begin moving the playdough in response (as slow or quickly as you desire).   -Or-  If you are feeling numb, just begin moving the playdough however it feels natural for you to do so.  Maybe you form a shape or simply continue to mold & move, whichever is fine.  
3. After the timer goes off or you come to a natural stopping place, spend a few moments reflecting on the experience.  Compare how you feel now to when you first started.  Looking at your playdough, what do you notice?  Is there an invitation being offered to you through the image &/or process?  You might let it shape your prayer &/or journaling.

Sculpt a Dream Image
Dream images are often metaphors and symbols of different parts of ourselves/our lives.  They offer us wisdom for waking life as we tend to them.

1. Pick an image you are curious about, afraid of, or desire to know more about from your nighttime dream.  Then sculpt it!  If using white clay, you might add color with markers or gel pens or paint it after it dries. 
2. After sculpting, consider how the sculpture reflects your dream image (how is it similar or different?).  What additional information does it hold for you?  What did you notice about yourself during the creative process?
3. Set it in a place where you will see it often, allowing for deeper insight as you continue to rest your gaze and awareness on it throughout the day.

Who knew playdough could be part of our spiritual practice and way of discernment?!  Playdough is not just for kids!  Actually, it's for all of us kids at heart who often get stuck in our heads yet are open to the creative, childlike ways the Spirit offers freedom and wisdom.  

​When I was present to him
I saw his crinkled little brow of curiosity
looking at the commonplace.
Such seeing changed my day.
 
When I was present to her
I saw her dark eyes shine while
the rest of her danced with delight.
Such being invited me to play.
 
When I was present to him
I saw his furrowed brow and tired eyes 
and I was invited into silence.
Such sharing meant more than I could say.
____________________________

I wrote this poem in 2012 after being curious about what would happen if I was present to my ordinary surroundings for fifteen minutes.  Knowing so much of my time can be filled with my to-do list (of which spiritual practice can be a part), I decided to "throw a stick in the spokes" of my day.  Am I ever glad I did! 

I saw my family members in such a different way in a mere quarter of an hour.  And in seeing them, I felt seen by God and was invited into seeing as God sees...and isn't that the whole point of spiritual practice?!

Try it.  Whether or not there are other humans in your house, be curious as to what you see and how it/they "speak."  

Honestly, I don’t. 
 
As a Spiritual Director, I’m looking and listening for spiritual “fruit” in your life rather than whether or not you’ve checked off or formalized any religious rituals or beliefs.
 
And while both can be meaningful, they are not requirements for relating to (& being loved by) the Sacred Presence.  In other words, your spiritual life happens with or without them.
 
While they can be meaningful, they can also be areas of spiritual wounding. 

Let me give examples from my own life because saying a “prayer of salvation” does not appeal to me for three reasons:

1. I never said it.  Even though I grew up in the church, I didn’t know there was a prayer to be "saved" until I was in high school. One day an adult youth leader asked me to name the day and time I invited Jesus into my heart and said the prayer of salvation.  I looked at her puzzled and said, “I don’t have a day or time because I've never known life without God.”  She looked puzzled and replied,  “You're the first person I have met that hasn't, but I can't deny that you follow Jesus."  That was the first time I felt like I needed to prove and defend my spiritual life.  
2. It can be manipulative.  In college, a few times I attended a Christian group’s "Noon Prayer." At the beginning, people would give “testimonies” on how many people they had shared “The 4 Spiritual Laws” with and whether or not it led to the prayer of salvation.  It was no surprised how the men always had stories of the number of women they had shared it with!  It made me sick to my stomach, feeling more like manipulation rather than salvation.  My last encounter with this group was a retreat. They loaded us in buses saying we were going door-to-door with an important spiritual survey.  I thought the survey was real, until at the first door, I watched how the leader used it as a doorway to presenting “The 4 Spiritual Laws”!  Same stomachache.  I sat on the bus the rest of the time, sickened by the manipulation in the name of “saving” people.  
3. It can create an unnecessary burden.  I will never forget my husband recounting his “salvation story” to me.  As a 2nd grader, he had been invited to Vacation Bible School held at a neighbor’s house.  At one point, they explained how a person would not go to heaven without asking Jesus into their heart.  They asked for a show of hands as to who had not done so.  Being scared out of his mind (why hadn't someone told him until now that he was not going to heaven?!), my husband raised his hand. One of the mothers took him by himself to the stairway and led him in saying the "prayer of salvation."  Right then, the weight of a fear & shame-based theology was put on his small shoulders that would be burdensome for years to come, including repetitively asking Jesus into his heart over and over just to make sure Jesus didn't leave!             

 
Maybe you have had a wounding experience around this as well.  If so, I am sorry. 
There is nothing “saving” or “sacred” in manipulating people into believing what you want them to believe (even if well-meaning, it is still manipulation!). 

Plus, it’s simply not creative. Jesus did not have one way of being with people and inviting them into freedom and wholeness.  Methods and "laws" often by-pass the sacredness of relationship by making people projects that need saving. 
 
Years ago, a woman once bemoaned in spiritual direction how she had tried to “save” her brother but feared he was not “saved” before he died.  I asked her tell me more about their relationship.  She told me about his disdain for God and the ways she had still loved him through the ups and downs of his life.   It was clear that she had loved him well and he knew it. Her kindness in caring for him, especially while he was dying, was evident. 

I looked at her and said, “Wow, I am amazed by your care for your brother!  You do know that the way you loved him means more to God (& your brother) than any of the beliefs you shared or any prayer he could’ve prayed.  Plus he had good reason not to pray it and he did not need to, you were the face of God for him and he loved you.”
 
I want to explore this a bit more next week.  But if you desire Spiritual Direction, know that you do not have anything to prove and I certainly do not want to manipulate or burden you.  Instead, I will listen to the ways you have been spiritually wounded.  And together, we will look for the fruit already present in your life, already waiting to be tasted and tended to.  It has nothing to do with whether or not you've said the right prayer or done the right ritual.  

Honestly, I really don't. 

​As a Spiritual Director, I'm listening and looking for life.  

​For some this looks like a daily time set aside for reading Scripture and praying with words (whether silently, written, or spoken).  This can be a very grounding and growing time. 

Or it can be a burdensome box on the spiritual checklist marked by guilt-if-I-don't-do-it. 

Even worse, it can be a time to grow the ego (rather than the mind of Christ). 
Reading the Bible and memorizing Scriptures are not a guarantee that one is on the path of and toward Life.  Some things may have the appearance of life but underneath we find superstition or pride in disguise.    

However Spirit is in the process of utterly transforming our hearts (which impacts the lenses through which we see the world, including Scripture), that is what I am looking and listening for when I sit with a person in Spiritual Direction. 

Let me give an example:
One person felt guilty because they did not want to do a one-year-Bible study initiated by their peers.  I affirmed their resistance which was telling them the truth--should they say "yes" out of obligation, they would only grow resentment, not life, in their relationship with God and others.

As I continued to listen, it became clear that this person would step out of their particular compulsions and into a deeper place the more they spent time in Nature (God's first revelation) and working with wood.  Nature and Beauty were of utmost importance in growing in Love and Life.  Their year would be better spent outside and in their workshop.       

There is no one-size-fits-all contrary to what you may have heard as a child, young adult, or a newbie to tending to the spiritual life.  

Having regular, uninterrupted time on the couch with a cat or dog or sharing a peaceful and delicious meal with one's partner, both are life-giving, love-growing practices. Others may find that silent meditation or reflecting on a poem expands their soul.  Working with a dream from the night before, puzzling over a vision, wrestling with a spiritual question, painting, gardening, playing with children...the possibilities for spiritual practice and experience are endless because God is endless. 

It also does not have to be either-or when it comes to spiritual practice...either I read the Bible or I spend time in Nature.  You might read the Bible in Nature.  Spending time in Nature may give you new eyes with which to see the Bible when you do read it next (or you might discuss different ways to read Sacred Scripture with your Spiritual Director).    

So how do you know if your "daily quiet time" or spiritual practice is life-giving and growing?
 
Reflect on the practice after you've engaged it for a length of time, at least a month.  Any given day can feel like a slog and the fruit of the practice may show up outside of the time itself!  For instance, after time in Nature, you may be calmer, less reactive, and more patient with others.

Here are some questions to discover the fruit your practice is bearing (or not):

•  Are you more centered and present rather than scattered and overstimulated? 
• Do you find your heart is being softened toward yourself and others?
• Are you seeing situations, people, and things in a different way?
• How is your breathing?--full and relaxed or survival-breathing, shallow and holding your breath  

 
If you come for Spiritual Direction, I'm not going to give you Bible verses to memorize or critique your spiritual life.  I'm going to listen for life within your life so that you may walk in the way that leads to Life (which is what the Bible encourages us to do!).     

Christmas decorations (including outdoor lights) remain up at our house for the “12 Days of Christmas” culminating with Epiphany on January 6th.  The candles will be left in the windows through Candlemas on February 2nd, but that’s for another post. 

Through the years I’ve looked for ways, old and new, to celebrate the rhythm of the liturgical year (the Christian/Church calendar).  Our "Christmas Card Prayer Path" is a favorite. 
 
Throughout December as Christmas cards come in, we often take a quick glance before putting them in a card holder on the wall. When Epiphany, also called “Three Kings Day,” arrives on the 6th, we gather the stack of cards and lay them end to end, attaching them with tape. 

After all are attached, the kids form whatever path shape they want leading to the nativity with its Christmas star overhead.  Some years it has been a swirl, others a zig-zag of jagged turns, and once it looked almost straight!  Isn't that the journey of life?!
 
They choose which Magi to accompany, then for the next 30-40 minutes, we join these learned “Wise Men” from the East on their journey to meet Jesus, Love Incarnate.  Their journey (and ours) begins with the first card they are set on.  As the Magi move toward the manger, the name(s) on each card are read and a blessing is said for each person, family, or group.  

It’s usually something simple like, “Thank you for being part of our journey…
…may you be blessed with peace & joy this year.”
…may the love of God be with you.” 
…may you continue to give and receive love.”
 
Throughout the prayer path, we pause when we hear, “Who’s that?” or “Do I know them?”  We get the opportunity to introduce names and faces to each other. There are memories shared and stories told.  We discover new friends on the journey.  And we get to enjoy the humor and beauty of the cards themselves (deciding that some need to be added to our crafting and collaging materials!). 
 
When we reach the last card, we say a prayer for all of those beyond the cards who are part of our journey and we theirs.  Our prayer ends with acknowledging that although we’ve made it to Jesus with the Magi, it’s just the beginning of this year's journey of incarnating Love. 


*Magi from Build Your Own Bethlehem by Gertrud Mueller Nelson and The Christmas Star from Afar Wooden Nativity Set and Book  

We've got magnetic, chocolate, and cheese Advent calendars and we've just started lighting our Advent candles, but something my daughter said stopped me in my Advent tracks. 

"I hate taking down our fall decorations, I feel like I missed out on enjoying them as much as I could have."  

To which I replied, "But you're in the house all day, everyday!" (She's doing virtual school the entire year.)

To which she replied with a smile, "But I'm worrying a lot, so am I REALLY here?"  

We both laughed. 

But I heard her longing and it got me thinking about how we often miss the gifts that are right in front of us like beauty, rest, fun...

She is often busy with virtual classes during the day and often does homework right before bed.  We're often busy with work and household chores during the day and often are on our phones or falling asleep watching Netflix.  Days and evenings can easily come and go in a whir of busyness and distraction.

So a few hours later, I said, "I have an idea.  Every evening before bed beginning December 1st, let's put down phones and homework, shut off the television, and turn off all the lights except for Christmas lights and candles.  Let's sit in silence together for the number of minutes matching the day it is, which means we begin with 1.  You can sit or lie down, eyes open or closed, and just take in the surroundings.  What do you think?"  

My daughter and husband were on board immediately, my 10-year-old son nodded slowly but with some skepticism (which makes me particularly excited for him!).  So I'll set my Centering Prayer timer for 1 minute tonight and we'll enter into the Silence.

A new Advent practice.  Doing nothing.  But present to everything.

__________________________
Whether in the morning, during a lunch break, or before bed, whether the 1st or 14th, you might experiment with Silence as both a way of entering into and a companion during this Christmas season.

“Must be hard being 10 and already going through dark night of the soul,” 14-year-old, Lainey, said as the two of us drove back from her fencing lessons.   
 
Her comment about her brother caught me off guard.
 
As a Spiritual Director, I companion adults going through Dark Night of the Soul, but I had not considered how children may, too.  I know that children suffer depression which in adults can coincide with Dark Night, but I had not seen Dark Night through a child’s eyes (even though our most memorable moments with God often happen when we are children).
 
For those not familiar with the concept, Dark Night is a stage in the spiritual journey that Saint John of the Cross experienced and wrote about in the 16th century.  He gave words to the “spiritual crisis” that occurs for those seeking union with God or to embody Perfect Love. 
 
Whether happening gradually or initiated through a tragedy or hardship, Dark Night can be felt as emptiness and dryness.  Our go-to spiritual practices no longer “work.”  Those activities and places of belonging that once brought us enjoyment, no longer do so.  We suffer disappointment, doubt, disorientation, discomfort, disillusionment, and even the utter disintegration of our thoughts and feelings about God, ourselves, and life.  In experiencing this loss and grief, depression can occur. 
 
We ask questions like, “Who am I?”  “Who and where is God?”  “What’s going on?”  “Why can’t things go back to ‘normal’?”  “What is normal anyway?”  “Will this ever end?”
 
This liminal space is entered into many times in our lives as we find ourselves in places and situations we would rather not be (like in a pandemic!).  We are in that “in-between” of who we were before and who will be after…it’s definitely uncomfortable.  My 10-year-old joins the rest of the planet in this communal Dark Night of the Soul.
 
He’s asking, “Who am I?”  “Who are my friends?” “Do I even have friends anymore?” “Will friends recognize me when I do go back to school?”  “Is virtual school even school?” “Will I ever play baseball or basketball again?”  “Will I even love sports again?”  “Things are too stressful in the world right now, is it always going to be like this?”
 
Now here’s what makes Dark Night different from depression.  When depressed, it’s a good idea to seek counseling and/or receive medication which hopefully helps us emerge from the darkness of depression with great relief.  And while there may be inner relief from the suffering (which is something to celebrate), there may not be inner transformation.  One may be grateful to simply return to oneself.        
 
During a Dark Night, rather than seeking a way out of the darkness, we are led deeper into it (a Spiritual Director is really helpful in the dark!).  This is the place where God loosens our attachments to all we may mistake for God, life, and our true selves. 

It can be painful to have these attachments revealed and painful to let go of them.  After all, we might really love being known as the athlete, whether spiritual or baseball!  We might cherish the feeling we get in imaging and relating to God in a certain way. 
 
However, when we emerge from Dark Night, we not only find relief but we are also transformed.  We no longer see or exist in the world in the same way we did prior to the darkness.  In other words, we do not return to ourselves, but are a new, truer Self!           
 
An expanded heart is the fruit of the Dark Night.  We see God, ourselves, and the world in deeper and wider ways and we are free to love God, ourselves, and the world in deeper and wider ways.
 
A different 14-year-old girl shared an image that came to her during our Girls’ Group-time of listening to the instrumental song, Unfolding.  It offers a beautiful and striking image of what it’s like to come through Dark Night of the Soul:

I was supposed to be traveling today to Saint Meinrad Archabbey for a yearly 4-day Silent Retreat. 

It's one of my favorite places.  I am always excited about facilitating this deep dive into the gift of Silence.  Words don't do it justice.

BUT the pandemic threw a wrench in my (& everyone's) plans.  So, I decided that even though I won't be facilitating a retreat, I can share with you the theme that I picked out for it last year and we can enter into it wherever we find ourselves. 

​We can still pray: ​

​If there's ever been a time to pray this prayer that was written in the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi, 700 years after his death by Father Esther Couqerel of France in 1912, it is now!
 
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred, let me sow love
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith
Where there is despair, hope
Where there is darkness, light
And where there is sadness, joy

O Divine Master, grant that I may
Not so much seek to be consoled as to console
To be understood, as to understand
To be loved, as to love
For it is in giving that we receive
And it is in pardoning that we are pardoned
And it's in dying that we are born to Eternal Life
Amen.

________________
"Blessed are the peacemakers," said Jesus, "for they will be called children of God."   

To be a peacemaker does not mean:

• We are peacekeepers.  (Consider the difference).
• We simply enjoy peace.      
• We don't have strong opinions.    
• We don't speak up or speak out.

To be a peacemaker means we not only pray and enjoy peace, but we actively work for peace.  For everyone.  Not just ourselves.  However, receiving inner peace enables us to extend outer peace...hence, the silent retreats. 

Silence offers an opportunity to slow down, to quiet the outer voices that we may look within and discover the inner voice of the God of Peace.   

Will you join me in reflecting, meditating, walking, dancing, stretching, playing, singing, resting, and working with this prayer over the next 4 days? 

Praying it first for yourself and your internal world: 

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace toward myself...

Then praying it for those outside of yourself.  Praying it on behalf of not only your family and nation, but the whole world.
 
Praying to embody the words as you come in contact with the world--from those in your own house to the grocery store and social media.

Let's breathe in and out the words of the "Prayer of St. Francis" and in so doing, may we become instruments and children of the God of Peace.  

A couple of weeks ago, I walked into the bedroom, closed the door,  and collapsed on the floor in tears. 

I was done in that moment. My inner storm clouds were too heavy and calling for release. 

There's a lot going on in our world, isn't there?  For many, there is a lot going on in their personal world as well.  

Adding virtual school to my mix and constantly hearing, "Mom!" so many times that I've begun to hear it even when no one's calling, was my breaking point.

Conversations with others who are feeling the weight of the world and going through their own personal crises have revealed a "grin and bear it" attitude.  Trying hard to ignore the tension and anxiety they continue on even as they feel the inner storm clouds growing more and more each day.
   
One thing I've learned from my indoor cat is that if she doesn't get her playtime in, she doesn't get her anxiety out which leads to other issues (i.e. not using the litterbox).  She's got to release the tension of the day through leaping, running, and chasing. 

Following her lead, I've tried to be mindful about moving anxiety out of my body, too—shaking, squeezing, twisting—through at-home Zumba, barre workouts, and yoga. This release is helpful but one thing is missing...cleansing. 

Crying is physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually cleansing.
It needs to be added to our personal self-care practices.  It already is an ancient spiritual practice for individuals and communities called lament (though you may hear of few congregations who practice it).  

It's as natural for us to cry as clouds to rain.  So why do we often "hold it in"?   

When I offer Distance Reiki, in the majority of my sessions, I have tears come to my eyes at some point.  As parts of a client's body release, I feel a rush of energy in my own body, causing the common "lump in my throat" followed by tears.  What was released inside is ready to be released outside.  Upon mentioning it to the client afterwards, they always shake their head, "yes."  For they either began to cry during the session or felt the lump in the throat, knowing they need to give themselves permission for a good cleansing cry sooner than later. 

I once had a client that wept and shook mightily during an in-person Reiki session (with eyes remaining closed but tears streaming).  Afterwards they had no idea they were shaking so much but said they weren't surprised, for they came desiring long-held trauma to leave their body and it had.       

So is it time for a good cleansing cry for you?  Or will you continue to hold it in and put it off?
Imagine clouds getting heavier and heavier and refusing to let go and rain...can you feel those clouds in your body?  

After a rainstorm, everything feels lighter.   

That's what happened for me.  An hour after light crying with intermittent gut-level sobbing, my head was clear, my body relaxed, I felt at peace.  I opened the door, now ready to walk out and tend to whoever called, "Mom!" first.