Stories shape us - sharing reflections and practices to help you compassionately discover where the sacred is already alive in you. Reflections: Beginning the Year with the Awen. Listening for the Flowing Spirit   As we begin 2026, I’ve been reflecting on our logo the Awen, a Celtic symbol made of three dots with three rays of light extending from them. The word Awen means “flowing Spirit,” and it points to the ways Spirit awakens inspiration, creativity, and balance. The Aw

Stories shape us - sharing reflections and practices to help you compassionately discover where the sacred is already alive in you. Reflections: This Holiday Season, A Time to Remember As I reflect on this Holiday Season and the end of 2025, I find myself thinking about what this time of year means to me. One thing I’m reminded of is a familiar pull I feel throughout the year, a tendency to forget who I truly am at the deepest part of my being. There are mo

Stories shape us - sharing reflections and practices to help you compassionately discover where the sacred is already alive in you. Reflections: Why a newsletter   This newsletter is something new for us, a space we hope will be both encouraging and informational. Each month we will be offering gentle reminders, insights, and invitations you can carry into your daily life. We're grateful to walk alongside you as Your Story and a Flashlight continues to grow. Practice: A Simpl

Last week I described what Spiritual Direction is NOT. To recap, it is NOT about the Spiritual Directors agenda, creating Disciples, or...

What images come to mind when you think of Spiritual Direction? How do you define Spiritual Direction? Are you having a difficult time...

Introduction The Examen was started by St. Ignatius. It helps a person evaluate the movements of the Good Spirit, a person’s own feelings...

I grew up in a Christian home. Lutheran to be exact. I was a part of Sunday school, participated in Christmas and Easter plays, and went...

Growing Up I grew up in a medium sized town in Southwest Washington State called Longview. Longview is a mill town. Life was really rough...

What or who is ANTIFA? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Antifa as1: 1: a person or group actively opposing fascism 2: an...

Scapegoating This is the final installment on this series of Scapegoating. First, I brought our attention to the fact that we as a...

SCAPEGOAT This is part 3 of my series on Scapegoating. I began this series with the question, “What is going on in this country and...

As I wrote in my last blog post I am doing a series on scapegoating. Last time I just raised the question that this, scapegoating,” might...

Scapegoating What (the Fuck)is Going On in Our World? I have not written much lately. Since covid-19, the Black Lives Matter protests,...

A couple of weeks ago I had a profound experience pulling weeds in our garden. The last few social media post showed the number of...

I have been thinking about leadership lately. Mostly, I am reflecting on my time as the Executive Director/leader of a non-profit. Before...

I believe that this time in history is a time to Grieve or Mourn. Unfortunately, in my opinion, our culture doesn’t allow for people to...

One of the most memorable talks in my training to be a Spiritual Director happened during an unplanned interview with a Jesuit Priest. I...

You are Loved (Part 6 of 6) I don’t remember how or even when it happened. I woke up one day realizing that God was furiously in love...

Find People (Part 5 of 6) This is the third of four burnout prevention tactics, Find People. I don’t just mean find any old people. Like...

Exercise (Part 4 of 6) I have transitioned on the topic of Burnout to ways to help either prevent or combat it if you are experiencing it...