December 2025Newsletter

Mark Terrell
Jan 4
2 min read

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 moments, shaped by people or circumstances, that try to convince me I am not enough or not lovable.

But this season, for me, is a time of remembering. A gentle waking up to what is truest within myself:I am loved, and I am lovable, no matter what.And nothing can take that away.

In the words of John O’Donohue, “Your soul knows the geography of your destiny. Your only task is to trust the deep well of your own belonging.” This season reminds me to return to that deep well, to the truth that I am loved, lovable, that I matter, and that I belong. Each time I return, I find that truth waiting patiently, steady and unshaken.

I invite you, too, to pause for a moment this season and listen for the truth that lives deepest within you.

Practice: Sacred Word

1) Sit in a quiet space, with your back straight and feet on the ground. Close your eyes and pay attention to your breathing. Perhaps set a timer fo five to ten minutes,

2) Choose a sacred word on which to focus your attention. Examples you might consider are peace, love, stillness, or mercy.

3) When a thought arises, as it surely will, gently guide your attention back to your sacred word. Let go of all judgement and disappointment. Every time you return is an opportunity to strengthen your focusing muscle and your attention on presence. Continue until the timer sounds.

4) When the time is up, stay sitting and take a few deep breaths of thanksgiving. Open your eyes and return to your daily activities, with a deeper awareness.

Spiritual Pracitces for the Brain: Caring For Mind, Body, and Soul by Anne Kertz Kernion