journeying through spiritual direction
A Winter Tree has made it around the sun, through all four seasons! For one year, I have shared in the journey of spiritual direction with several women and have walked very holy ground. I continue to be in awe of the steady work of God when we slow down and give our attention to …
Across the United States, we have met the second day of spring with snow and very real wintry conditions. Two oppositional truths existing simultaneously. As we move from one truth to another, there is often a space where they overlap and both have life. Sometimes a season is both winter and spring. Sometimes our souls …
In some ancient Eastern healing traditions, each season is associated with a color. Everything is understood to be interconnected - the earth and seasons, our bodies and energies. For Winter, the color is blue representing water. Blue often leads us to feelings of calm and imagination, but also suspicion and sadness. In Spring, traditions believe …
Winter is an inward season. The days are shorter and there is less daylight. Our cold temperatures and snow mean we move differently. We slow down, activate more caution, engage a bit more solitude and lend ourselves to rest. Life in winter is more dormant. Attentive to our own changes in this season, the tree …
I live in Indiana in the US and the official season of winter is ending. As we prepare for the transition from winter to spring, I am reminded why 'A Winter Tree' was born. The season of winter is necessary and valuable in what it individually offers and how it interplays with the other seasons. …
The most important action you can take in any threat to your groundlessness is to breathe. Breathing literally sustains the health of your body. Paying attention to your breath can improve focus and clarity, reduce stress and align your mind, body and spirit. Breathing is life. Inhale. Exhale. One of my favorite breathing exercises uses …
Assumptions. They been making asses out of us for decades. Just like generalizations and stereotypes, they are bad habits that are also natural habits. Assumptions happen because there is a gap in what we know. We attempt to fill in the gap with information that may or may not be right- trying to get as …
Forgive. Even at the sight of the word, we get in our feelings. I don't have to forgive. They need to <insert dramatic expectation here>. I get it. I'm not judging. Realistically though - How is your resistance to forgiving preventing your being? There are MANY reasons why practicing forgiveness can be healthy, I want to …
i will breathe i will think of solutions I talk to myself. Not a lot, but enough. You might too. It is not a function of schizophrenia or personality disorder. The inner monologue creates the guidance I need to hear. Self-talk can be positive and helpful - it echoes the words I need to hear. I …
Just this morning I ordered groceries, put money on my kids lunch account, facilitated a spiritual direction session and participated in my daily devotional - all from my phone. We can literally do AN.Y.THING. from our phones. And it's great - there's convenience, efficiency and connection that is enabled with the quality of technology we can access. …
A Winter Tree 