Your Life's Work Blog: Recent Episodes
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Written by Diane Mahon
When we moved back to Ohio three years ago, I was excited at the thought of reconnecting with old friends. We got busy; searching for a home, enrolling the kids in school and establishing my husband’s spiritual direction practice. Then a few months later Covid hit and everyone sheltered in place. Isolated.
Fast forward a couple years, and even though we’ve mostly returned to our normal lives, something seems different. I have been feeling like we haven’t fully recovered from the isolation and that people have gotten used to keeping to themselves. It turns out I was right! There’s a new phenomenon that experts are calling a “friendship recession.” It’s the idea that adults have less friends now in 2023 than they did in past years. And although time alone and isolation can sometimes be a dream for someone like me (hello fellow introverts!), I have been longing for more connection and have noticed its effect on my overall well-being.
The Survey Center of American Life did a survey in May 2021 on the state of American Friendships. Its findings were that Americans report having fewer close friendships than they once did, talking to their friends less often, and relying less on their friends for personal support. The study also showed that most friendships are made at work, school, places of worship or clubs/activities. So, if you think about it, the pandemic had a huge impact on our friendships, with the majority of people working at home, schools and churches going virtual, and activities simply cancelled.
We can’t fully blame the pandemic though. There is a combination of factors contributing to this friendship recession. Economist Bryce Ward points to an increased use of technology and a decrease in group activities overall. It can be said that this trend started long before Covid. A study back in 2014 showed that we spent over six hours a week with friends on average. It’s been dropping steadily since, down to just two hours and forty-three minutes a week. Psychologists explain it as a “learned loneliness.” We do a lot more things alone and people have adjusted to being alone and learned to live with an unfulfilled need. Spiritual director J.R. Mahon says he’s seen clients in his practice express a new kind of social anxiety where this learned loneliness has contributed to them wanting to socialize less or they feel they have forgotten how to engage in small talk.
A recent study from Pew Research showed that 35% of people feel that socializing is less important than it was before the pandemic. But we know that socializing is very important. Social isolation can have negative impacts on our physical and emotional health. It can cause depression, weaken our immune system and make someone more likely to suffer from things like high blood pressure, sleep problems, heart disease and diabetes.
So what are we to do? Fortunately, you can combat this friendship recession simply by putting yourself out there! Reach out to old friends, make new ones through a shared interest or activity. Schedule a coffee date or join a club. If you’ve been feeling lonely or isolated lately it can help to talk to someone, such as a spiritual director. Reach out to a professional, especially if you are feeling some social anxiety or there are other issues keeping you away from people. Spiritual director J.R. Mahon would love to talk with you about it and work through it. He can be a great friend to you as you find your voice and footing in reconnecting with the world out there.
There are times in life when facing the truth is hard. Being honest with ourselves is not easy and can cause us to feel out of control. But the truth is there whether we acknowledge it or not. Happy faces on social media cannot mask what is really behind the complicated, emotional, relational existence of our everyday lives. We all have problems and challenges. If we want to find true peace, sometimes we will need to face a harsh reality head on, be honest with ourselves and see things for what they really are. Pretending that everything is fine or that there aren't any problems only causes us more pain down the road.
Truth can be hard for us to face.
There’s a myriad of ways to avoid the truth. We blame others. We live in denial of what is really going on. We completely turn a blind eye. Sometimes, as in the case of addiction, we just don’t want to change our lifestyle. We would rather continue living in the comfort of the familiar. In the case of divorce, we might worry about what it would mean financially. When kids are involved, the lives it affects, and the stakes are much higher. We’re unwilling to upset things in such a way that our world will crumble in order to be put back together in a stronger, healthier existence. It takes incredible strength to not only face the truth but live out the truth.
We all want to believe that we're good people and that everything is fine. Sometimes it's easier to ignore what we know deep down in our hearts than it is to accept the painful reality that sometimes we aren't as good, or our relationships aren’t as good, as we'd like to think. This can play out in addictions, abuse (not just physical), infidelity, broken trust, or abandonment. You may be the one suffering the effects of someone you’re in relationship with or you may be the one causing them. Either way, it is hard for people to face the reality of the mess and take action to stop the cycle.
There are several reasons why it’s important to face the truth:
- It’s painful. It can be scary to realize that something you believed in doesn’t exist, or that someone isn’t who you thought they were. But the pain of facing reality is often less than the pain of continuing with a false belief.
- The truth sets you free from fear and worry. You can’t change what has happened in the past, but you can learn from it and move forward. By facing the truth about yourself, others, and the world, you obtain knowledge that empowers you to make better decisions for yourself.
- You will draw closer to God. It’s a well-known Scripture, John 8:32, “the truth will set you free.” Truth comes from God and can heal and nourish your heart in such a way that gives you freedom to experience your true self.
Sometimes you need someone else—a friend, family member, or even better, a spiritual director—to help you see things as clearly as possible so that you can take steps toward making positive changes in your life.
Don’t be afraid to face the truth and see things for what they are.
When we are in denial about our reality, our healing will be delayed. This means that if your partner has been cheating on you for months and you choose not to acknowledge or accept this fact—that’s going to mean even more work for yourself down the road. So, think of facing the truth like ripping off a band-aid. You need to rip it off quickly to expose the gashing wound of what is real so you can get on to healing faster.
Think about your life for a moment. Chances are some mistakes you made were repeated multiple times because they were not faced or resolved. You could say that these habits kept “tattooing” themselves onto your mind and body until they became permanent fixtures in who you are as a person.
The best way to become aware of these harmful repetitive behaviors is by facing them head on with honesty and openness (and often courage). If you keep hiding behind distractions or blaming others for your problems instead of taking responsibility for yourself and your actions, it will be hard to move forward towards true self-awareness and acceptance.
It’s important also to connect spiritually with the Divine. You can do this through prayer, meditation and stillness. Sit with yourself and contemplate your circumstances. A wonderful way to uncover, or discover, truths is to sit with a spiritual director, like J.R. Mahon, who can help you connect with God.
Sometimes your greatest strength is being vulnerable enough to expose the truth for what it really is.
When we’re in pain and hurting, we can be tempted to hide from the world. You may feel shame or embarrassment and worry about what others will think. This is understandable—it is hard to be vulnerable! But if you want to heal, sometimes it’s best to let things be out in the open. Why? Because you really don't have to do this alone! You can ask friends or family members for help if you need it; you might be surprised at the people who will support you.
Don’t’ let the pain of facing a hard truth keep you from seeing it clearly.
We all have our own challenges and weaknesses, but if we can face them head on, we will have a much better chance of overcoming them. The next time you find yourself in denial about something in your life or someone else's life, consider this fact: facing the truth can be like ripping off a band-aid — painful but necessary if you want to heal and find peace.
If you need to talk to someone, J.R. is available for sessions immediately. NO waiting list or long wait time for an appointment. You can schedule a time by calling or texting him at 619-964-0337.
Diane is the Director of Development for TableTop Ministries. Diane and her husband J.R. have been married 28 years and raise three kids adopted from foster care. The two live in Northeast Ohio where they run TableTop and The Retreat at Ridgewood. Follow @theretreatatridgewood on Instagram to see Diane’s day to day happenings and feel free to contact her at dimahon67@gmail.com.
Diane Mahon shares her story about losing her mom and dad and the practical steps to walk with grief.
When My husband J.R. Mahon and I were in the throes of raising our three kids, he would often use the word “codependent.” In certain situations, he would tell me I was “being codependent” or “that’s codependent” and it would drive me nuts! I could never understand how what I perceived as being caring and giving could be construed as a negative thing. See, our kids were adopted through foster care. All of them carrying the trauma of early childhood neglect and abuse, some even in utero. So you might imagine the developmental and behavioral soup that was our everyday life. Looking back, and now going forward (because you never really stop being a parent), I’ve learned a lot and now I get it. Through spiritual direction, I was able to recognize it in myself and respond to my kids and in my other relationships in a healthier way. And in that, I am taking better care of myself and have begun to feel more peace and like my true self.
Codependency is usually defined as an unhealthy relationship where one person takes on the caregiver role, allowing another to take without providing the same support and care in return. It was first applied to caregivers of people with addictions (such as alcoholics) in the 1980’s but has since expanded to relationships where there are mental health or behavioral problems, domestic violence and emotional abuse. It can be hard to recognize codependence because it can look like the behavior of normal healthy relationships. In a healthy relationship, both people give and receive equally, but still retain their separate identities. It’s not unhealthy to have empathy and compassion for someone, and yes, people with addictions or mental health disorders have challenges that interfere with their ability to function. That’s why it’s often hard to recognize where compassionate care and help ends and where co-dependency begins. Here’s the thing…it’s when your desire to help goes past what is healthy and to the point of putting the other’s needs ahead of your own. You get stuck in the caregiver role and end up exhausted, frustrated, and burned out, often losing your sense of self identity. Without a firm sense of your own identity, your sense of self becomes inextricably linked to caring for your loved one. Also, it keeps the other person from changing and moving forward in their own health and well-being.
For example, one of my children has a mental illness and at times would not get out of bed. It can be a normal and loving act for me to care for them, wake them up for work, make sure they take their medication, and make their doctor’s appointments. However, in a codependent relationship, I am doing those things not just because the child (at this point young adult) needs them, but because I need them to fulfill my own emotional needs. Plus, the more I try to help and protect my child, I’m actually interfering with their ability to heal and grow. I may hide the damage their issues are causing, keeping them from seeing the reality of their own psychological state and recognizing the need for mental health treatment. I underestimate their abilities and compensate in ways that prevent them from acting independently or building new skills. For example, supporting them financially or taking care of basic household chores based on the presumption that they are incapable of working or performing them. When we do these kinds of things, in response, our loved one may assume a kind of learned helplessness that does not reflect the reality of their abilities, leaving them without the motivation or ability to test their own capabilities. As a result, the codependent relationship dynamic can prevent them from recovering and improve functioning.
Co-dependency is also a self-destructive behavior. Many codependents make tremendous sacrifices in order to please, care for, and protect their loved one; you may take on a disproportionate share of responsibilities and stop caring for your own physical and emotional health in order to focus on your partner or family member. For me, I have an autoimmune disorder. Instead of doing all the things I knew could help me get better, I did the bare minimum, the things I knew I could control. In some areas I did nothing because, “I don’t have time,” or “Who will watch the kids?” This caused a cascading effect on my physical health. And my mental health wasn’t always much better. I have struggled with anxiety and bouts of depression. In co-dependency your own needs no longer matter and maybe you don’t even know what those needs are. Worse still, you remain trapped in a psychologically damaged state. Participating in the dysfunction of codependency keeps you from uncovering your authentic self and engaging in the crucial work of healing.
So, are you co-dependent? Here are some characteristics of codependent people:
- Fear of Abandonment
- Low self-esteem and internalized shame
- Anxiety
- A need to control situations and people
- Exaggerated sense of responsibility for others
- A tendency to do more than your share, all the time
- A tendency to feel hurt when people don’t recognize your efforts
- Indecision
- Your happiness is dependent on your loved one
- Lack of sense of self outside the relationship
- Difficulty identifying your feelings and those of others
- Rigidity/difficulty adjusting to change
- A sense of guilt when asserting yourself
- Resentment
The hardest thing about overcoming codependency is it can be extraordinarily difficult for you to recognize the nature of your own behavior. Rather than seeing your behavior and the motivation behind it as dysfunctional, you see your actions as expressions of love. If you identify with more than a few of these characteristics, whether it be with someone your dating, a family relationship, or friendship, I want you to know there is freedom! The first step is recognizing it, and then understanding how it manifests in your life. Spiritual direction can be a wonderful and beneficial process to work through our often complicated relationships. As a spiritual director, J.R. has done a lot of work with codependency with people. He can help you identify it in your life and will offer practical ways to work through your thoughts, behavior patterns and root out the problem. Through my own spiritual direction, I have a renewed sense of self that has allowed me to create boundaries that ultimately have created more peace in my life. I won’t lie. It can be difficult to take the focus off the problems of your loved one and look in the mirror at yourself. Even more difficult to admit that you may be part of the problem. But the more you understand codependency and bring it out into the light, the better you can deal with its effects and live a healthier, more fulfilling life!
Diane Mahon
Diane is the Director of Development for TableTop Ministries. Diane and her husband J.R. have been married 28 years and raise three kids adopted from foster care. The two live in Northeast Ohio where they run TableTop and The Retreat at Ridgewood. Follow @theretreatatridgewood on Instagram to see Diane’s day to day happenings and feel free to contact her at dimahon67@gmail.com.
Learn About tabletop ministries
The tragedy of death isn’t in loss but our learned sidestepping of grief and mourning. We must hold space for sorrow. It is the life behind death, the platform for which we feel its incredible crushing emotions. Be undone. Be afraid. Be hopeless. Be depressed. Be uncertain. And be that way for as long as you need. Your experience with the passing of great love is also the encore that ushers in the resurrection of new life… it is divine design allowing all of us an opportunity to truly know how powerfully we are attached to the giving and receiving of love.
Are you interested in spiritual direction?
Here’s how to get started.
Step 1. Schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consult. Do that here.
Step 2. Watch your email for questions from me. Before we hop on the phone, I’d like to know a bit about you and what you’d like to get out of spiritual direction or coaching with me.
Step 3. Hit “reply” to that email and answer the questions.
Step 4. At the scheduled time of your consult, we’ll talk! We’ll use the opportunity to make sure we’re the perfect fit.
Step 5. Then we’ll get started! If you decide to work with me, I’ll tell you the exact steps for getting started. If you decide not to work with me or if we aren’t a perfect fit, I’m happy to share other resources to help you get what you need.
Have questions? You can call me… 619.964.0337
J.R. Mahon | Spiritual Direction | Life Coach - Cleveland - Los Angeles - New York City -
I help people change the direction of their lives.
Direction for your life's work personally, professionally and spiritually. I help with fear, anger, shame, anxiety, depression, grief, procrastination, codependency, faith
Our prayers have become a collective cry over the uncertainty we are facing. The fear and worry drive us to scream into existence a prayerful shield against our creeping anxieties. There is no faulting anyone for prayers covered in tears or covered in worry. Our times are forcing a deep dive into the COVID dirt, seeking relief and peace from God. As we move forward into a new consciousness or the “new normal,” I encourage you to also see prayer as a doorway. An invitation for the Divine to walk IN versus a doorway for you to walk through. Invite God into the uncertainty, unknowing and suffering. Allow the beautiful distraction of His grace and mercy in your trepidation. Allow God the opportunity to join you to His will. Join you to a peace that surpasses all understanding. Peace that will guard your heart and mind. Invite the divine in.
What would you like God to tend to?
Receive these daily. Sign up for Your Life’s Work email here
Are you interested in spiritual direction? Here’s how to get started.
Step 1. Schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consult. Do that here.
Step 2. Watch your email for questions from me. Before we hop on the phone, I’d like to know a bit about you and what you’d like to get out of spiritual direction or coaching with me.
Step 3. Hit “reply” to that email and answer the questions.
Step 4. At the scheduled time of your consult, we’ll talk! We’ll use the opportunity to make sure we’re the perfect fit.
Step 5. Then we’ll get started! If you decide to work with me, I’ll tell you the exact steps for getting started. If you decide not to work with me or if we aren’t a perfect fit, I’m happy to share other resources to help you get what you need.
Have questions? You can call me… 619.964.0337
We learn our emotions. We learn to manage them. We learn to receive them, witness them or ignore them. The “ignoring,” most familiar. Human consciousness evolves. We slowly come to see how feelings enslave the hell out of us. Our society is set up to ignore emotions, from booze to social media it’s in our DNA, we run from authenticity. Our not talking or coming up with ways not to talk is the death of our day. As a spiritual director I am aware of the dance between emotions and spirit and how the two need to shake hands while walking into the sunset. That relationship is all about your willingness to get conscious with who you are, what you’re feeling and what you're doing while breaking the bondage of an over-bloviated emotional landscape. The more we place ourselves in a position to expose our emotions for what they are, what they do to you and what they do to others the more centered, enlightened, saved or delivered into unitive consciousness we become. Below is a feeling chart, it’s a great tool. I know there are a few of you who are way too cool for this but suck it up and take a spin on this wheel. It will help you identify what's happening in you and perhaps give you a shot at breaking a few emotional chains kicking your ass. If you want the PDF, write me, I’ll send it.
Want to connect with J.R. - CALL or TEXT 619.964.0337 write him jr@jrmahon.com
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Learn more ABOUT J.R. MAHON
Breath prayer is easy and super relaxing. Practitioners repeat to the rhythm of their breath a phrase or sentence in an effort to invite the Divine in.
(Inhale)
Show me love through anonymity
(Exhale)
Teach me humility through the ordinary
Sign up for Your Life’s Work email here
Are you interested in spiritual direction? Here’s how to get started.
Step 1. Schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consult. Do that here.
Step 2. Watch your email for questions from me. Before we hop on the phone, I’d like to know a bit about you and what you’d like to get out of spiritual direction or coaching with me.
Step 3. Hit “reply” to that email and answer the questions.
Step 4. At the scheduled time of your consult, we’ll talk! We’ll use the opportunity to make sure we’re the perfect fit.
Step 5. Then we’ll get started! If you decide to work with me, I’ll tell you the exact steps for getting started. If you decide not to work with me or if we aren’t a perfect fit, I’m happy to share other resources to help you get what you need.
Have questions? You can call me… 619.964.0337
Breath prayer is easy and super relaxing. Practitioners repeat to the rhythm of their breath a phrase or sentence in an effort to invite the Divine in.
(Inhale)
Teach me to receive grace
(Exhale)
Teach me to give grace
Sign up for Your Life’s Work email here
Are you interested in spiritual direction? Here’s how to get started.
Step 1. Schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consult. Do that here.
Step 2. Watch your email for questions from me. Before we hop on the phone, I’d like to know a bit about you and what you’d like to get out of spiritual direction or coaching with me.
Step 3. Hit “reply” to that email and answer the questions.
Step 4. At the scheduled time of your consult, we’ll talk! We’ll use the opportunity to make sure we’re the perfect fit.
Step 5. Then we’ll get started! If you decide to work with me, I’ll tell you the exact steps for getting started. If you decide not to work with me or if we aren’t a perfect fit, I’m happy to share other resources to help you get what you need.
Have questions? You can call me… 619.964.0337
Breath prayer is easy and super relaxing. Practitioners repeat to the rhythm of their breath a phrase or sentence in an effort to invite the Divine in.
(Inhale)
Let us awake to your love
(Exhale)
Show us every move you make
Sign up for Your Life’s Work email here
Are you interested in spiritual direction? Here’s how to get started.
Step 1. Schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consult. Do that here.
Step 2. Watch your email for questions from me. Before we hop on the phone, I’d like to know a bit about you and what you’d like to get out of spiritual direction or coaching with me.
Step 3. Hit “reply” to that email and answer the questions.
Step 4. At the scheduled time of your consult, we’ll talk! We’ll use the opportunity to make sure we’re the perfect fit.
Step 5. Then we’ll get started! If you decide to work with me, I’ll tell you the exact steps for getting started. If you decide not to work with me or if we aren’t a perfect fit, I’m happy to share other resources to help you get what you need.
Have questions? You can call me… 619.964.0337
“J.R.! What the hell is spiritual direction?” I hear it all the time. The definition most wisdom traditions/religions hold as common ground is that it's the practice of guiding people as they deepen their relationship with God. The movement is as old as the oldest religion or spiritual consciousness. As a people we gravitate to elders, mentors or teachers for perspective and wisdom on the greater concerns of the Divine living deep within our souls. Joy and sorrow are the motivating factors that usually push you into spiritual direction. Both emotions have one powerful key ingredient: they make us look up or look inward or simply float into a contemplative space seeking the tending love of Father, Mother, Universe, Love, Center…God. Spiritual Direction is my passion. It is how I have always met God, met you, met me. That knowing was hard to come by! I spent years running from my fear. No more running. I am now less afraid thanks to my spiritual director who loved me into being fully alive; challenging me to hear the deep love of God. Spiritual direction gave voice to my soul. Spiritual direction took the edge off dogmatic practices. Spiritual direction took the guesswork off the table and “normalized” my want and need to be loved and give love.
Do you hear God?
Sign up for Your Life’s Work email here
Are you interested in spiritual direction? Here’s how to get started.
Step 1. Schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consult. Do that here.
Step 2. Watch your email for questions from me. Before we hop on the phone, I’d like to know a bit about you and what you’d like to get out of spiritual direction or coaching with me.
Step 3. Hit “reply” to that email and answer the questions.
Step 4. At the scheduled time of your consult, we’ll talk! We’ll use the opportunity to make sure we’re the perfect fit.
Step 5. Then we’ll get started! If you decide to work with me, I’ll tell you the exact steps for getting started. If you decide not to work with me or if we aren’t a perfect fit, I’m happy to share other resources to help you get what you need.
Have questions? You can call me… 619.964.0337
Breath prayer is easy and super relaxing. Practitioners repeat to the rhythm of their breath a phrase or sentence in an effort to invite the Divine in.
(Inhale)
Give me words to fight injustice
(Exhale)
Help me act to birth peace
Sign up for Your Life’s Work email here
Are you interested in spiritual direction? Here’s how to get started.
Step 1. Schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consult. Do that here.
Step 2. Watch your email for questions from me. Before we hop on the phone, I’d like to know a bit about you and what you’d like to get out of spiritual direction or coaching with me.
Step 3. Hit “reply” to that email and answer the questions.
Step 4. At the scheduled time of your consult, we’ll talk! We’ll use the opportunity to make sure we’re the perfect fit.
Step 5. Then we’ll get started! If you decide to work with me, I’ll tell you the exact steps for getting started. If you decide not to work with me or if we aren’t a perfect fit, I’m happy to share other resources to help you get what you need.
Have questions? You can call me… 619.964.0337
We are told, “fear not.” But not told what the deeper movement will be to get us there or what to expect as a result of fearing not. Moving through fear means understanding heartbreak. Yes! That seems like it will suck! But heartbreak isn't just pain and sorrow. Heartbreak is the ability to take in presence, take in love, who you are, who Divine is and ultimately live undefended with nothing to prove, nothing to lose. We fear then we protect. Most often it's the heart we so desperately want to guard. Making sure we are never hurt, betrayed, let down, abandoned or forgotten. Wisdom here is perplexing because giving in to the reality of heartbreak means we pay more attention to what heartbreak fosters and not simply what heartbreak feels like. Again, heartbreak will have its pain but it opens you to the awareness of who you are, who your community is, who God is. This trinity of understanding will produce grace, mercy and love, meaning fear becomes less about protecting and more about seeing through the uncertainty of any heartbreaking circumstance. Heartbreak has a real ironic way of tending us into being fully alive, without which love never has its chance to dominate fear.
Where is heartbreak pointing you?
Sign up for Your Life’s Work email here
Are you interested in spiritual direction? Here’s how to get started.
Step 1. Schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consult. Do that here.
Step 2. Watch your email for questions from me. Before we hop on the phone, I’d like to know a bit about you and what you’d like to get out of spiritual direction or coaching with me.
Step 3. Hit “reply” to that email and answer the questions.
Step 4. At the scheduled time of your consult, we’ll talk! We’ll use the opportunity to make sure we’re the perfect fit.
Step 5. Then we’ll get started! If you decide to work with me, I’ll tell you the exact steps for getting started. If you decide not to work with me or if we aren’t a perfect fit, I’m happy to share other resources to help you get what you need.
Have questions? You can call me… 619.964.0337
Breath prayer is easy and super relaxing. Practitioners repeat to the rhythm of their breath a phrase or sentence in an effort to invite the Divine in.
(Inhale)
My strength is you
(Exhale)
My love is yours
Sign up for Your Life’s Work email here
Are you interested in spiritual direction? Here’s how to get started.
Step 1. Schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consult. Do that here.
Step 2. Watch your email for questions from me. Before we hop on the phone, I’d like to know a bit about you and what you’d like to get out of spiritual direction or coaching with me.
Step 3. Hit “reply” to that email and answer the questions.
Step 4. At the scheduled time of your consult, we’ll talk! We’ll use the opportunity to make sure we’re the perfect fit.
Step 5. Then we’ll get started! If you decide to work with me, I’ll tell you the exact steps for getting started. If you decide not to work with me or if we aren’t a perfect fit, I’m happy to share other resources to help you get what you need.
Have questions? You can call me… 619.964.0337
We are terrified. The uncertainty presenting itself conjures narratives of violence and destruction. It’s too easy to say, “do not fear.” It’s too easy to urge everyone to cut and run or stay and kill. Look deep into the mirror today, tomorrow and the rest of this week. Focus on your family, your community, those intimately connected to you. Allow love to lead calm and push you into next month and next year. We will be OK if we lose the fear of uncertainty for the presence of love. Fighting for what we need right now doesn't look like taking it to the streets. Fighting for what we need right now looks like leadership in our homes, neighborhoods and communities. Leadership that puts away the duality of our time in lieu of loving those within our touch. I am not asking for doormat citizenship. I ask us to listen to the call of love. That hushed voice in you, in me, that is asking us to step away from whatever “ism” we hang our flag on and love those directly in front of us.
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
doesn’t have a swelled head,
doesn’t force itself on others,
isn’t always “me first,”
doesn’t fly off the handle, keep score of the sins of others, or revel when others grovel.
Love takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
puts up with anything,
trusts God always,
always looks for the best,
never looks back, but keeps going to the end.
Receive these daily. Sign up for Your Life’s Work email here
Are you interested in spiritual direction? Here’s how to get started.
Step 1. Schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consult. Do that here.
Step 2. Watch your email for questions from me. Before we hop on the phone, I’d like to know a bit about you and what you’d like to get out of spiritual direction or coaching with me.
Step 3. Hit “reply” to that email and answer the questions.
Step 4. At the scheduled time of your consult, we’ll talk! We’ll use the opportunity to make sure we’re the perfect fit.
Step 5. Then we’ll get started! If you decide to work with me, I’ll tell you the exact steps for getting started. If you decide not to work with me or if we aren’t a perfect fit, I’m happy to share other resources to help you get what you need.
Have questions? You can call me… 619.964.0337
Breath prayer is easy and super relaxing. Practitioners repeat to the rhythm of their breath a phrase or sentence in an effort to invite the Divine in.
(Inhale)
Peace in our hearts
(Exhale)
Peace in our country
Receive these daily. Sign up for Your Life’s Work email here
Are you interested in spiritual direction? Here’s how to get started.
Step 1. Schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consult. Do that here.
Step 2. Watch your email for questions from me. Before we hop on the phone, I’d like to know a bit about you and what you’d like to get out of spiritual direction or coaching with me.
Step 3. Hit “reply” to that email and answer the questions.
Step 4. At the scheduled time of your consult, we’ll talk! We’ll use the opportunity to make sure we’re the perfect fit.
Step 5. Then we’ll get started! If you decide to work with me, I’ll tell you the exact steps for getting started. If you decide not to work with me or if we aren’t a perfect fit, I’m happy to share other resources to help you get what you need.
Have questions? You can call me… 619.964.0337
Meditation/Prayer
Invite God in.
Rest in the Divine.
Allow repose to rebuild, replenish and return you home.
Find a way to care for stillness and silence.
Protect the deep movement of peace by seeing everyone as God and God as everyone.
Cultivate ease in your community.
Give words to injustice while fostering ease.
Pray for your enemies, love them too.
At night... tonight. Cool down, unwind, find calm and whisper to God, to the world, “repose, repose, repose.”
Receive these daily. Sign up for Your Life’s Work email here
Are you interested in spiritual direction? Here’s how to get started.
Step 1. Schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consult. Do that here.
Step 2. Watch your email for questions from me. Before we hop on the phone, I’d like to know a bit about you and what you’d like to get out of spiritual direction or coaching with me.
Step 3. Hit “reply” to that email and answer the questions.
Step 4. At the scheduled time of your consult, we’ll talk! We’ll use the opportunity to make sure we’re the perfect fit.
Step 5. Then we’ll get started! If you decide to work with me, I’ll tell you the exact steps for getting started. If you decide not to work with me or if we aren’t a perfect fit, I’m happy to share other resources to help you get what you need.
Have questions? You can call me… 619.964.0337
Divine experience needs questions to challenge the heart. Spiritual query is where we touch God and learn to love. Who tests your heart? What stretches you into greater understanding or greater peace? We are super comfortable learning from process, the “steps of faith” if you will, but we need the experience of awareness and consciousness. Growing into new relationships, traditions and practices needs you to pay attention to curiosity. Some fear this movement. It can feel counterintuitive to what you've learned or how you were trained but curiosity must kick us out of the spiritual nest. Be not afraid. God loves through the falling, the hard landing and ultimately the experience of learning to fly. Even if as we transform we rejoin those in the nest, it's the experience of freedom we need to taste to know the depths of God's love for us.
Where do you experience God?
Receive these daily. Sign up for Your Life’s Work email here
Are you interested in spiritual direction? Here’s how to get started.
Step 1. Schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consult. Do that here.
Step 2. Watch your email for questions from me. Before we hop on the phone, I’d like to know a bit about you and what you’d like to get out of spiritual direction or coaching with me.
Step 3. Hit “reply” to that email and answer the questions.
Step 4. At the scheduled time of your consult, we’ll talk! We’ll use the opportunity to make sure we’re the perfect fit.
Step 5. Then we’ll get started! If you decide to work with me, I’ll tell you the exact steps for getting started. If you decide not to work with me or if we aren’t a perfect fit, I’m happy to share other resources to help you get what you need.
Have questions? You can call me… 619.964.0337