In the past, I have had words find me — in a serendipitous manner with a lace of intuition. This year was no exception as my favorite poet and artist, Morgan Harper Nichols, created an Instagram Reel of suggested words for the year. A screenshot determined my word this year, but I am certain it was meant for me (even if it were a millisecond between my word and another.)
I was clouded with so many fearful thoughts of the future, the what-ifs and I can’ts and worry-mixed-with-doubt. It was hard to gain clarity and even find out the truth in God’s sight: what is the best decision and next-right-thing? If only I could see through the fear, I pondered; what would that feel like? A sigh of relief, a breath of fresh air, and peace? Likely all of the above.
Discernment is a tool in our spiritual arsenal – one of the Holy Spirit gifts to us. It guides us to the will of God, which is to say the best possible outcome for us.
This year I choose blossom as my Word because it represents my intention to grow from the roots I planted as a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5) and build back what was broken through the vehicle of relationship.
It was the morning of the most important interview of my career; with emotions running haywire and hormones adding a dizzying effect, I decided that I just couldn't go to my interview that afternoon. The fear shouted so loudly that I couldn't hear the voice of wisdom that knew to show up despite the very big feelings. This was my dream job, after all!
Never underestimate the power of forgiveness to transform your life. In fact, it's one of the things that most often keeps us from moving forward in life and creating harmony in our bodies and minds.
Somehow it seems difficult for me to ascertain how much I need to forgive myself until an emotion within my body unfurls itself from my insides and releases itself in the form of a tear.
I stumbled upon a woman of sincere faith in the elevator of a nursing home this week; it wasn't so much a stumble as it was a nudge. The elevator was going up; I was going down. I got on without the slightest clue that I was riding in the wrong direction. But God was only nudging me in the right direction.
GeorgeAnn had a red rose pin on her lapel; I knew she was someone I needed to meet. Along with pointing me toward a monastery in Littleton, CO and sharing endless facts about certain saints and sisters, she laid a wisdom nugget on me which I'm sharing with you.
It has been one year since I had the blessed opportunity to discover the true meaning of Christmas. I have always been aware of the "reason for the season," yet it wasn't until I stepped away from the truth that I truly realized the deeper meaning of the "spirit" of Christmas: the kind that dwells within all of us, every single minute of the day.
On my search last year to rediscover my spirituality, it occurred to me that no amount of seeking outside of myself would ever uncover the connection I craved. I had been studying Judaism for the better part of the year, and in doing so got further away from my own truth. It was as if I listened to everyone's truth but my own. I have always studied religion and been involved in a variety of experiences outside of my own faith tradition; it was my way of understanding who I am by gathering a plethora of wisdom from throughout the ages.
Transformation invariably begins when we start to ask questions. These are the questions posed not by our Ego but our soul. I like to think of these questions as "whispers of the soul." While they start out as faint whispers, if left unanswered can build up in intensity like a snowball rolling down a hill. There's no stopping our soul from beckoning; we might as well turn toward it and listen.
The questions our soul poses aren't your typical questions; they likely shake up the life we have grown accustomed to, whether it serves our soul or not. But I have a question for us all: if our soul is beckoning—and its purpose is to evolve and transform into the fullest expression of itself—then why do we ignore its call?
