We are all growing Spiritually. We’ll either grow in healthy ways or unhealthy ways. In this series I offer my reflections on my own journey. Take the time and make intentional decisions about your own Spiritual Growth. Email me if you’d like to discuss any blocks you are experiencing. Lisa @ dailypax (dot) com.
I was fortunate to have a mother who took her faith seriously, and I must confess that I took full advantage of all her hard work. As long as she was alive, I could neglect my own Spiritual Growth. If I had a question about God, I could go to her. She had the answers I yearned for. But when she died, my … [read more]
We’re full of excuses. Most of them based in fear. Fear it won’t stick. Fear of what will be discovered. Fear it will be too hard. Fear that God is sisappointed. Unknowingly, we cling to deep seated misconceptions about Spiritual Growth. Most of them … [read more]
Many people think that Meditation and Contemplation are the same thing and use the words interchangeably. Although they share similarities, they are different. They are both paths to God, but they differ in how one travels on that path. Mediation is the … [read more]
A foundational element in Spiritual Growth, DISCERNMENT is simply the act of listening for God’s voice. Simple, however anything BUT easy. How do you discern His voice amid the other noise? His leading? A struggle I hear about in my work as a Spiritual Director, and … [read more]
That dreaded word: exercise. And in the Spiritual Realm … really? It is a well-known fact that if you want to improve in anything, you must submit to exercises. Spiritual improvement is no different. The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola are perhaps the … [read more]
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The hallmarks of Christianity, and the characteristics that should set us apart. They are seeds within us that grow over time, transforming us further … [read more]
I remember as a kid, being fascinated by those time-lapse movies of a seedling pushing up through the dirt, their tender leaves stretching to the sun? I mean, you’d never be able to sit and actually watch that growth happen the way the camera can … [read more]
When I selected HUMILITY as my “H” in this A to Z Blog Challenge, I didn’t realize that it would coincided with Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter. At my church the service is full of readings, music, and images of a humble man, whose … [read more]
In my own study of God, little of what I read in the Bible meant much to me until I started thinking in terms of stories. Using my imagination to understand the people I found there. I knew facts about Jesus, but He didn’t come alive until I spent time … [read more]
If you have never heard of Julian of Norwich, allow me the honor of introducing her. Born November of 1342, she is one of the great Christian mystics. She lived in England, among the widespread plagues in of the 14th century. Many scholars believe she … [read more]
It wasn’t until I began to understand God’s kindness towards me, that I began to extend that kindness to myself. I found a quote from C.S. Lewis, that I customarily transferred into the opening page of each new journal I began – I did this for years, until … [read more]
I’m often asked, “How do you maintain the motivation for Spiritual Growth?” Obviously, it’s about committing to it, and persisting in it, but there is also an aspect of listening that is required. Listening takes practice, and it must become a way … [read more]
It took me some time to actually sit down and read Merton. Honestly, I was intimidated by his reputation. I thought he might be too advance for me, so I began by trying to take in some of his quotes. Here’s a few of my favorites: He wrote a lot on love … [read more]
I was intimidated by MERTON, but I would have like to have been friends with NOUWEN. His writings resonate with me on almost every level. They don’t necessarily confront me, rather I find in them an immense source of comfort. I first met Henri Nouwen … [read more]
In our efforts to Grow Spiritually, it is foundational that we understand who God really is. A tool I have used in teaching about God is he THREE famous “omni” statements; Omniscience, Omnipresence, and Omnipotence. It was just this week that I learned a new Omni-attribute … [read more]
In an era where distractions crowd out my ability to listen to God, the Psalms offer me a quick touch point, reminding me of who He is, and who I am in relation to Him and to others. Within the Psalms, I find every emotion ever felt; love, contentment, triumph, rest, national … [read more]
This issue came up in a spiritual direction session just this week. I was asked, “As Christians, shouldn’t we stand out, do something important, be remarkable? Most of my days, are filled with the ordinary and mundane tasks that everyone fulfills. But I can’t leave my job and my family to … [read more]
If you know me, you know I love to retreat. I attended my first retreat in 1991. I was nervous, and it was difficult to leave my family, but I knew I needed to get away. At that retreat, new doors were open to me, as if, in the pause, I was given a new set of glasses, and … [read more]
Retreats and Silence go hand-in-hand. Retreats create the space for Spiritual Growth, and SILENCE is the language of Retreat. I know that seems odd; silence as language, but silence is the language of God. Regular periods of silence play a significant role in Spiritual Growth. The type … [read more]
Exploring the lives of Saints has allowed me to enter a fullness in my Spiritual life. I have learned from so many who have traveled on the path of faith before me. St. Teresa is one of those Saints. Her life is a wonderful example of how persistence in faith … [read more]
I have always found it encouraging to know that we are not alone on this journey to God. There are many who have traveled the road before us and they have left us an abundant supply of tools to utilize in our own efforts. Our lives should be devoted to learning … [read more]
Yesterday, I threw out the challenge that God, in the end is, unknowable. This caused a bit of a stir, so I thought I’d keep the conversation going. Now, it isn’t that God wants to be unknowable, the limitation lies in me! Hard as I may try, I can never “think” as He … [read more]
I have often been asked how Spiritual Growth takes place. The “how”s of Spiritual Growth are different for each of us, because each of us are different. What works for one, may not work for another, or it may not work – yet. Spiritual Growth takes time and does not … [read more]
X, Y, and Z on their way soon.