How May I Serve You On Your Spiritual Journey?
Do you have questions or conflicts stemming from your spiritual upbringing? Do you feel like something greater is missing in your life? Maybe you have a fulfilling life—on the surface—but recognize your relationship with the Sacred could be deeper. Do you feel burdened by religious beliefs that may no longer be a fit for the life you are living? Are you at a crossroads in your life and want to better hear the guidance coming to you from the Spirit within? Are you discerning your life’s purpose, maybe even considering a religious or missionary vocation? These and many similar questions may lead you to seek out spiritual direction. If you are curious to know more and/or wondering if spiritual direction is something you could benefit from, please contact me to discuss whether you and I would be a fit for spiritual direction.
Spiritual friendship. Spiritual direction. Holy listening. Spiritual companionship. Spiritual guidance. There are a variety of names for the special relationship in which two people come together to commune together about a third Presence which can be felt but never seen between them. Ask anyone who has been trained in spiritual direction, and they will generally agree that the term which has been used for the longest and is probably here to stay may not be the best descriptor for the experience. The spiritual director isn’t an expert imparting wisdom, but more of a quiet companion, willing to listen and observe as the directee explores the most powerful relationship of their lives.
It seems easier to describe what spiritual direction is not rather than what it is. It’s not psychological therapy, pastoral counseling, or life coaching. Similar to those, the spiritual director may ask prompting questions to aid the directee in their exploration. Unlike those, the spiritual director may share aspects of her own intimate spiritual journey in the course of connecting with and modeling for the directee. The spiritual director might teach techniques for prayer, meditation, reflection, or journaling as tools for deepening one’s relationship with the Sacred. The spiritual director may have some ideas to share but more likely can help the directee identify their own answers to life’s biggest questions. While spiritual direction is unlike therapy, counseling, or coaching, it can touch on all the same aspects of life because our relationship with Spirit touches every aspect of our lives.
Our relationship with Spirit touches every aspect of our lives.
A couple of years ago, about the time my Crazy Aunt Adventure year came to a close, I began to experience severe physical and health challenges. I had been diagnosed with Lupus when I was a junior in high school, but after many years in remission, these symptoms returned worse than ever before. I was unable to work and still often find it a challenge to make it through each day. Not being able to do many of the things I was used to doing has been very frustrating. Through prayer and introspection, I realized that even if I can’t physically do anything, I can still be. I can be with people. I can listen to people. I can support people. And I’m good at these things. My life has purpose even if it has taken an unexpected turn. I first heard the still small voice within me at a rather young age, and even while I was busy about doing other things with my life, I have always been on an intentional spiritual journey. I’ve come to realize that the path I’m now pursuing is probably the best fit for me, which I never would have found without facing this difficult season in my life.
I am also on a path to become a licensed Unity teacher and will complete this training in October 2022. Unity is a Christ-centered spiritual organization. Unity is for people who might call themselves spiritual but not religious. It is for those who sense the depths of their own being and celebrate the awareness of a power greater than themselves.The teachings in Unity bring together ancient wisdom with new interpretations of what it means to be alive and human. Unity inspires different ways to think about the force of love and intelligence that many people call God. Unity has no formal, mandated dogma. Unity is inviting, inclusive, and welcoming to all.
Many people today consider themselves as spiritual but not religious and struggle to find a church home where they feel comfortable and accepted.
I have a special intention to offer myself as an interfaith and interspiritual spiritual director. I think that we are moving into a progressive stage of religion where many people are seeking to encounter the Sacred unencumbered by the cultural mandates of the past. Many people today consider themselves as spiritual but not religious and struggle to find a church home where they feel comfortable and accepted. Exploration with a spiritual director can help one on the spiritual journey. My three-year spiritual direction training has been based in ecumenical Christianity. My life-long spiritual journey has led me to learn about and explore a variety of major world religions, and I believe I can easily serve those of such diverse faiths. While I consider myself a Christ-follower, I have had opportunities to learn about and from a variety of religious and spiritual paths. I believe that there is only one Supreme Power in our lives and in the Universe even though we have different names for that Presence. I welcome directees of any or no religion who want to sincerely explore who/what the Sacred is to them and ways they can be in relationship with Spirit.