Tag Archives: spiritual direction

Weighted Blessing

The Mountain Ash tree in my parents’ backyard was heavily laden with berries. There must have been two hundred clusters of them. “Won’t they make a big mess when they fall off?” I asked my eighty-seven-year-old father. Dad reassured me that … Continue reading

Posted in Poetry, Poverty of Spirit, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Stories of an Everyday Pilgrim is available!

I am excited to announce that my book, Stories of an Everyday Pilgrim, has been published and is available! To celebrate this long-awaited moment, today’s post is the first story in the book. Here’s more about how you can get a copy. … Continue reading

Posted in Childhood, Homelessness, Popular Posts, Prayer, Stories, Stories of an Everyday Pilgrim | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Balancing the Impossible

I’m becoming wary of my false self and its admirable intentions. Now, when I think about doing something good, I ask myself why I’m doing it. Is it to enhance my reputation, bring personal gain, or help me feel good? Or am … Continue reading

Posted in False Self, Ignatian Spirituality, Poverty of Spirit, Spiritual Direction, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gravity

“I’ve looked at your x-rays, and your teeth are fine,” the dentist said. “That toffee didn’t do any harm?” I read the look on his face. “I worry too much,” I said. He nodded. He’s right. I do worry too much. I … Continue reading

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God in the Dark: Theory

My biking siblings and me: Harry, Sylvia, me, and Ron Every couple of years my siblings, Fred and I go on a three-day bike trip. The first trip we biked from Banff to Jasper, the second was a 400 km section of … Continue reading

Posted in Childhood, Spiritual Direction, Stories of an Everyday Pilgrim | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Supervision Examen: An Ignatian reflection for spiritual directors

Here is a helpful reflection for spiritual directors to use after offering spiritual direction. After offering spiritual direction, take some time to pray with what transpired. Begin by opening yourself to Christ’s presence. Descend with your mind into your heart and look into … Continue reading

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And How Will You Wear That?

It isn’t just fear, shame and judgment that are placed on me. I receive compliments too. People often thank me for something I’ve done or tell me how a certain blog post has impacted their lives. But it’s hard for me to take it in … Continue reading

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Trapped

Frustrated, stuck, trapped. That’s how I felt. That’s what I recorded in my account of a spiritual direction session. I had directed the session and was discussing it with five other spiritual directors who gather monthly for peer supervision. In supervision, we … Continue reading

Posted in Childhood, Popular Posts, Poverty of Spirit, Spiritual Direction, Stories, Stories of an Everyday Pilgrim | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Feeding a Fragile Desire

I guess it’s time, I thought as I biked along. And in my spirit I knew I was ready to face my shame about overeating. I meet with Karen, my spiritual director, regularly. The sacred space we share allows me … Continue reading

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Praying in the Cracks

I went to my first spiritual director a dozen years ago while I was studying at Regent College. After a few sessions my director said gently, “You have a lot of noisy, discouraging tapes playing in your head. I can’t compete with … Continue reading

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