Midlife Crisis: Expectation vs. Reality
When crisis strips away our normal roles - job, parent, spouse - what is left?
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- 8 min
The Truth about Thomas Merton’s Spiritual Mother
“Baloney!” were the first words Thomas Merton heard her say. The year was 1941 and Merton was teaching at St. Bonaventure University. The...
- 2 min
Julian of Norwich: 8 Things You Didn't Know
Julian of Norwich is becoming a wildly popular mystic. Yet she lived as a recluse in a forgotten corner of England in the 14th century....
- 4 min
The 19 Best Julian of Norwich Quotes
Julian of Norwich’s popularity has skyrocketed over the past century. Yet she spent most of her life literally entombed in her...
- 4 min
The Untapped Goldmine of Etty Hillesum that Virtually No One Knows About
Etty Hillesum doesn't fit in boxes. Which might be why I'm so magnetically drawn to her. People who defy categories intrigue me. Somehow...
- 9 min
Trauma and Well-Meaning Relatives
An Open Letter on the Occasion of my Wedding I blinked at my latest text messages. Within the past 12 hours, I had received two more...
- 5 min
The Top 4 Books I Recommend in Spiritual Direction
If you’re like me, you’re always hungry to grow. Whether that means devouring podcasts, discovering a new framework to use for my...
- 8 min
9 Ways to Know if You’re Growing Spiritually
Elia had big desires. Like many of the people I walk with in spiritual direction, she was hungry to learn. She wanted homework. Book...
- 5 min
You'll never make a decision without doing this.
Lately I’ve discovered that I, and a number of my clients, have been struggling with existential FOMO. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is...
- 8 min
Prayer and Orgasm Have More in Common Than You Think
The Mystics' Secret to Bliss I can’t remember the first time it happened in prayer. But I remember the first conversation I tried to have...
- 7 min
The Surprising Reason Why You Don't Feel God
Let’s be honest: meditation is not always sunshine and roses. If you’ve ever tried to sustain a spiritual practice, you’ve probably...
- 7 min
The World the Mystics Inhabited
Ineffable Longings, Incarnation, and the Sacramental Imagination I received a letter the other day that read: "I've been turning to the...
- 4 min
When Fall is Ripe with Change
I sensed it even before I opened my eyes. Somewhere between the way the cool air nibbled at my toes, and the way the crisp aerosols...
- 7 min
How to Live When You’ve Been Mostly Dead
I couldn’t speak.
I was pretty sure this is what Wesley from the Princess Bride had felt like when he had been “mostly dead” all day.
- 5 min
Prayer and Orgasm Have More in Common Than you Think, Part 2
3 Secrets to Divine Intimacy There are two things that are certain, besides death and taxes. That is: wherever there are people, there...
- 5 min
A Surprising Spiritual Practice in Time of Pandemic
It finally got to me.
I had kept my nose above the water, for the most part.
Washed my hands. Stayed at home. Did my part.
But when I had
- 7 min
He Gave Me Sickness for My Healing
Lessons from 18 Months of Stillness, Silence, and Solitude | Once upon a time, my life ended.
- 4 min
I Am Dark But I Am Beautiful
What this author learned when no words came. I’ve been going through a rather apophatic period lately. The apophatic has to do with the...
- 5 min
Mysticism vs. Religion - what's the difference?
Recently I was invited to participate in a gathering of young(ish) contemplatives, to dialogue together about the future of the...
- 3 min
How One Simple Trip Taught me to Speak about the Ineffable
I recently had the distinct privilege of speaking to a very eclectic group in Birmingham, England. I was asked to speak to a group on...
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