Advent Blog

Tag: spirituality

  • Under God’s Umbrella

    Years ago, my Mom gave me a copy of Holly Gerth’s book, Under God’s Umbrella:  Gifts of Hope & Encouragement to Shelter Your Heart in Life’s Storms.  The book is available from Dayspring and other religious book stores. Holly shared this prayer: “Lord, my heart is in the midst of a storm right now.  Please help…

  • One of those places…

    This is a picture of my silhouette at West Lake in Hangzhou, China.  For many, this is a place on their bucket list and is listed in the book, A 1,000 Places to see Before you Die.  For many centuries, this lake has inspired a nation and many artists and poets have created masterworks with the…

  • Cloud Angel

    “For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.” -Psalm 91:11-12 “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place…

  • At the Place where the Land Ends…

    He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)   I came upon this sundial while visiting St Michael’s Mount in the Cornwall region of the UK on a stellar day last September.  I…

  • Let it Spill?

    Spilling – The act of causing (or allowing) something (or someone))  to fall unintentionally. The results: Puddles, splatter, poisoning, confession, betrayal, guilt, release, relief, in confidence, in pain, playful, first link in a chain of events.            Maybe, don’t do it. Shared by Susan Ceely-Phillips

  • Reconnecting with my Faith

    It is so easy for me to become overwhelmed with the stuff of life – little things, little tasks, deadlines; I can sink into feeling completely inadequate to the task. This happens on a regular basis, but recently, it occurred to me to bring up Renee Fleming’s rendition of Bernstein’s “Simple Song”. The melody captures…

  • The Dance

    Isn’t it all poetry? What we see What we sense What sounds reach What penetrates our depths What can poetry convey? What roads traversed What hills climbed What tears shed What stories told With acceptance and understanding of each other’s journey: Hands may entwine Differences can vanish Hearts might link Friendships can begin The dance…

  • Voice

    It is a courageous conscious Choice for a woman to use her Voice to speak her Truth from the root of her pain and shame at relenting to an old patriarchal game that would have her use sex for financial gain. A decision that then drives her mad, utterly insane, a mute filled to overflow in…

  • The Gospel of Nature

    “The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us. Thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing. The trees wave and the flowers bloom in our bodies as well as our souls, and every bird song, wind…

  • Day 12: Some thoughts from Henri Nouwen

    As Advent is amongst us, may we, as children of God, run with joy to unwrap our gifts of the Spirit, praying, playing, living boldly in Christ’s love. The following is a compilation of thoughts on courage from one of my favorite theologians, Henri Nouwen. Enjoy! – Patrice Donnell On Courage: “Have courage,” we often say to…