Comfort & Joy

Acceptance is a practice. Yesterday, I left work and I could feel that I was exploding with restlessness and non-acceptance. So many times throughout the day I just wanted to walk up the stairs and out the doors of the school where I work as a school librarian. I like…

Acceptance — this is the theme that is emerging for me as the new year begins. There are certain things in my life that just need to be accepted, and not with a sense of defeat or disappointment. Not accepting some major aspects of my life does weigh down my…

I woke up this morning thinking about the gratitude workshop I am giving tomorrow. I have had a tremendously busy week at work and I was feeling overloaded. After I dropped my husband at the bus stop, I decided to go home and sit still for awhile, instead of rushing…

These days I am returning to the practice of gratitude in a more conscious way. I know I’ve written about this before, but gratitude is an inexhaustible source of inspiration and comfort. So, I picked up my copy of Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer by Brother David Steindl-Rast, and began…

Several readers have inquired recently about the title of “spiritual director” after my name. My posts mostly reflect my own orientation to finding spirit, or the divine, in everyday life. And that’s mostly what I try to do. But spiritual direction is an actual discipline, although not confined to one…

This week, I spent time in a kindergarten classroom, helping the teacher get the students into the new routine. It’s amazing to be reminded of all the things children need to learn in kindergarten — waiting one’s turn, listening to directions, sharing the building blocks, and so much more. There…