The Beginning

The purpose of this blog is to easily document my journey.

I'll begin by stating my rule of life written in a french pantoum poem.

Rule of Life
Grounded fully in stillness and being
Trusting the dark unfolding cave of mystery 
Looking and seeking for the beautiful flickering light of hope
Engaging in creativity through words, art, and perspective

Trusting the dark unfolding cave of mystery
Standing firm in balance and love, freely giving myself over
Engaging in creativity through words, art, and perspective
Heart and hands open to receive growth and awareness

Standing firm in balance and love, freely giving myself over
Looking and seeking for the beautiful flickering light of hope
Heart and hands open to receive growth and awareness
Grounded fully in stillness and being

I realized it might be beneficial to put more concrete words around my Rule of Life.
1. 15 minutes of meditation each day
2. Regular study of theology 
3. Journaling
4. Time set aside to create
5. Exercise 
6. Read books 
7. Time in community and relationship with others 
8. Time spent in nature

As 2020 approaches I would like to set my intentionality for the upcoming year. 

My word or focus for 2020 is creative. This encompasses several things. 
I would like to wrestle with the ways I view creativity in my life. For example, how can I get creative with my perspective of time and how I choose to spend my time? How can I get creative with art? How am I willing to allow God to get creative with my life?  How can I practice creativity in my faith and spirituality? 

Goals for relationships and life for 2020
Relationship goals: 
  • growth in marriage 
  • growth and depth in family relationships 
  • growth in church family relationships and community
  • the beginning of a deep friendship locally 
  • growth in work relationships
Life Goals: 
  • Volunteer regularly
  • Attend 2 retreats 
  • Travel
  • Continued work in spirituality

Books:
Books I am reading:
  • Shameless by Nadia Bolz-Weber
  • Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning

Books to read:
  • Boundaries by Henry Cloud
  • Necessary Endings by Henry Cloud
  • The Grace in Dying by Kathleen Singh
  • Beyond Endurance: When a Child Dies by Ronald J. Knapp
  • Permission to Grieve by Shelby Forsythia

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Retreat in the Pines

This weekend I traveled to meet a friend at a retreat center for a weekend of yoga. The retreat was set off a dirt road surrounded by tall pine trees. My friend, Tara, is a beautiful woman who encourages me to seek life to the fullest. She makes me a better person. Tara and I developed our friendship over many sessions of yoga. We would travel to the nearest yoga center and discuss life, work, relationships. Our friendship clicked immediately and I knew I had found a soul friend. I could be my true self who Tara accepted and would then, in turn, give her authentic self to me. This delicate exchange of vulnerability and love created our beautiful friendship. Tara has taught me many things over the years. The most impactful lessons she has shared with me are: life is a constant transition, you have the power to change your perspective of time, and be brave. Tara and I no longer live in the same town so we have made it a tradition to book a retreat together once a year, this year was a yo...
Read more

Patagonia

Image
Patagonia For years my husband and I have wanted to travel to Patagonia. The landscape looked breathtaking and every time Patagonia was mentioned people would buzz with excitement and desire to visit. So 2019 was the year we committed to go, no matter what. The cost was extremely more expensive than our other trips and we had to book our trip in the spring to secure our place in the busy season of Patagonia's summer. As the trip approached in December, the anticipation was put to the side as family commitments, holiday craziness, and our jobs took precedent. A week before our journey I developed shingles. At 30 years old, this was surprising and worrisome for our backpacking trip but nothing was going to stop this trip. So I immediately started thinking about my attitude and perspective for this adventure. I wanted to enjoy this trip and stay strong throughout the journey. I knew my body could handle more than I realized and I committed myself to a positive attitude! ...
Read more

My Spiritual Autobiography

Image
The candle is lit, surrounding the room with the warm smell of white pumpkin. The chair squeaks as I settle at the table, breathing deeply, opening my heart to the Divine. I surrender to this familiar rhythm, anticipation building at the new awareness I am about to receive. I am facing windows that welcome the glow of sunshine in the space, and my wind chime offers comforting sounds as the breeze blows. This is how I begin my meditations and prayer. This process over the past couple of months has bestowed a gift in the idea of  re-member-ing . As stated in  Inner Compass  by Margaret Silf, the art of  re-member-ing  is bringing together that which has been fragmented or broken. Through the reflection exercises ,  I have held my past with more grace and love, the present with more awareness, and the future with anticipation and hope, recognizing the beauty of God throughout.             ...
Read more