She prayed to God that she wouldn’t wake up in the morning

She prayed to God that she wouldn’t wake up in the morning

When you don’t want to wake up the next morning, pray that God may gently wake you up to the goodness happening all around you. Then soak yourself in it. Take it in and let it mindfully grow throughout your soul. Last week I was out doing some garden work […]

Isn't It Time to Banish the Bookkeeper? Forgive

Isn’t It Time to Banish the Bookkeeper? Forgive

Are you struggling to forgive yourself or others? The bookkeeper keeps score and builds a case against yourself and others. Let’s banish the bookkeeper. Underneath the kitchen bench in my childhood home was a drawer where we kept scissors, pens, paper, and the red Collins ledger book. My mother would […]

self-compassion-for-a-wretch-like-me -mental-health-depression

Self Compassion for a ‘Wretch like me’

Been sold the lie that you’re a wretch? Self-compassion absorbs the failures and forgives the self. It says you’re doing ok and that you’re loved. I have probably sung into my soul ‘a wretch like me’ over a hundred times. The hymn ‘Amazing Grace’ is the most well-known hymn we have. […]

Six Keys on How to Pray for the Healing of a Mental Illness

When we pray for the healing of mental illness for ourselves or someone else, there is a divine invitation to join with God in an unfolding story. We pray for something wonderfully life-transforming. That is of course if you dare to pray that little bit deeper. You listen to someone tell […]

Learn the Spiritual Gift of Stillness

Give your Mind the Spiritual Gift of Stillness

If we are going to navigate life well, we must nurture the gift of stillness. Distractions will vie for our attention, but only one that is true will be heard if we quiet ourselves and be still. Looking up at the stars through a crisp, clear winters night I wondered […]

Please. No Fixing, Advising, Saving or Straightening Out

Please. No Fixing, Advising, Saving or Straightening Out

If you want to hear the heart of another, then you need to still your own. Fixing, advising, saving, or straightening out will only stifle the emergence of true wisdom. We need to listen with questions.  Sometimes I want to tell some people to shut up and just listen. They […]

The Reason Why So People Walk the Camino de Santiago

The Reason Why So Many People Walk the Camino de Santiago

Three hundred thousand pilgrims walked the Camino de Santiago in 2017. These ancient pathways in Northern Spain have allured people from all over the world. But why? What is the reason that these trails have drawn so many pilgrims for such a long period? Camino means ‘Path.’ Just a little […]

Stumbling in on God's Party Going On

Stumbling in on God’s Party Going On

There is a party going on, all around us, where God is inviting us to stumble on in and enjoy. When we are attentive to the music, it grows depth in our mental health. So I am just back from a holiday in Italy and Spain for a holiday. My […]

Social Anxiety? What’s That?

Ever feel like you’re all of a sudden gasping for air? Heartbeat racing out of control? Breaking out in a cold sweat? Or, clenching your teeth so hard you feel like your jaw might lock in place? These can be effects of social anxiety. More importantly, I have friends, acquaintances, […]

How Forgiveness Cleans The Toxic Dumping Ground Of The Heart

How Forgiveness Cleans The Toxic Dumping Ground In The Heart

Forgiveness cleanses the toxic places in our hearts. Those dumping grounds where we hold onto the resentments and hurts.  “We throw all of the garbage we can’t burn or compost, like oil or old lead paint, over the hill in the back” she said to me. “But…then you can’t use […]