Entering what many Christians call, “Holy Week”, I nurture a posture of reflection. My devotional focus lingers on Jesus’ final week on earth culminating in His betrayal, trial, torture, death, burial and resurrection. Complementing my reflective devotions, in recent years, I chose incorporating the powerful practice of praying the biblical stations of the cross. Well-known as a Catholic ritual, and…
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Praying the Biblical Stations of the Cross
Delight in Finding the Serenity of Spring
With the arrival of the vernal equinox, we plunge excitedly into a new season. Social media boasts an abundance of newly sprouted spring flowers, and eagerly budding trees and shrubs. Shyly, spring enters our world each year as the earth gently births that which was delicately hidden from our sight. This majestic of seasons commences from the humble cover of…
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Discovering the Sounds of Silence
When was the last time you intentionally scheduled time for silence? Silence energizes my soul like a healing therapy. An overwhelming introvert, my aversion to noise and communication demands creates daily challenges I often find exhausting. Discovering the sounds of silence replenishes my depleted energy and beleaguered senses. Actually, a regular practice of silence benefits everyone from children to adults,…
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Jesus, Joy of Man’s Desiring
My Joy Journey took me on a European tour this month, with stops in Scotland, England and Germany. Coming upon a quote on joy, by C.S. Lewis intrigued me and became the impetus for further exploration. I started with C.S. Lewis’ book, “Surprised by Joy”, traveling with him from his childhood home in Scotland to his days as professor in…
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A Mindfulness Approach to Prayer
Often our own ideas on prayer eventuate the biggest hindrances to our prayer life. Sometimes prayer becomes more of a performance, as we work so hard at doing everything “right” so God hears us and we don’t offend Him in the process. I know people who struggle tremendously with the wording of their prayers, the topics of their prayers and…
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Betrayed By An Intimate Friend
Sometimes familiarity deceives us; gives us a false sense of “knowledge”. That was my conclusion as I spent time re-reading the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ final week on earth. Familiarity with the events blinded me to the depth of information said in so few lines. The story of the betrayal of Jesus received a cursory glance rich with assumption. Recently…
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Nurture Humility With Alternative Fasting Tips
Fasting, a spiritual discipline widely popular during Lent, symbolizes more than abstinence from food. Representing the attitudes of repentance, obedience and humility, fasting embodies a heart posture towards God. Through a humble attitude of abstinence, we more keenly focus on the needs of our spiritual relationship, positioned to better listen and hear from God. For some of us, we cannot…
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Jesus, the Friend Who Loves at All Times
Acceptance is the word for the thing I most coveted as a young woman, though I didn’t know it at the time. Never one of the popular crowd, I spent much time alone even when surrounded by people. The object of ridicule, bullying and neglect, even at the hands of family members left me with deep feelings of insignificance and…
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Repentance Through the Eyes of Mindfulness
Lent is a time for self-awareness and spiritual transformation; the perfect setting for mindfulness. During this solemn time, we have opportunity for introspection, gaining awareness of areas where we fall short in our spiritual walk. Engaging repentance, fasting and prayer we begin preparing our hearts to celebrate God’s lavish gift of salvation on Resurrection Sunday. Repentance is a key component…
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