Thursday, June 23, 2022

Blessing for the Brokenhearted

 

Let us agree
for now
that we will not say
the breaking
makes us stronger
or that it is better
to have this pain
than to have done
without this love.

--Jan Richardson

https://www.debbieaugenthaler.com/blessing-for-the-brokenhearted-by-jan-richardson/

Friday, January 7, 2022

Stay-treat


I'm getting ready for a retreat at home again this year. If you have ever done it, you know it is a challenge to get into a retreat space of mind and heart without getting away physically from your space. However, with the pandemic, I think it is the better choice to retreat at home again. 

Having done this with mixed success in the past, I am garnering resources for my retreat at home - or what I'm calling my stay-treat. I thought I might just be able to google this, but alas, it isn't that easy. So I'm gathering some resources and I thought I would share them here - and please feel free to share your resources as well. These are, in no particular order:

    - Pray as you go

    - Meditation Retreat at Home

    - Covid Isolation Retreat

    - Laudato Si Retreat

    - Laudato Si Retreat Guide

    - Women's Christmas Retreat

    - A Path Called Solace

Last year, I did a 'coffee retreat'. Sounds great, doesn't it? Basically, I identified several life-long friends and scheduled a virtual coffee with them during the retreat week. That was the thread that kept my retreat 'on track'. We were able to catch up, honor the God-space in each of us, and nurture that space. What a gift that was. 

This year, I know that I need to put some things in place:

1. Have a gentle spiritual path, with periodic check-ins to help keep on that path. I like directed retreats for that reason. 

2. Have a good walking routine. I love to take long prayer walks, usually several times a day. I usually try to go south during our Missouri winter, so that I can warm up, body and soul.

3. Make sure I have sufficient healthy foods around. I like that about the retreat - not having to worry about food and being surprised by nourishing meals several times a day. 

4. Have a playlist ready, get an ice-skating pass, and prepare to be amazed by grace!