A way to view one's spiritual life: a set of concentric circles. In the very center is our soul: our inner world, our dreams, the landscape of memory, the trap of personality. As we move away from the center, we find spiritual practices. Activities like meditation, centering, yoga (in the Westernized sense, not its original purpose). This might be where one could find astrology, divination, tarot reading. It's a world of symbols and signs. Further out from…
I'm in a lot of Facebook groups about the Enneagram. I love to hang out there, give advice, and learn from others. In the Type 9 group, I've seen quote a few people ask about self-development as a 9 in regards to living a Christian life. Many teachers say that the work of the 9 is to choose his own desires over other people's desires, assert herself, or stop accommodating others. If Jesus calls us to be…
Each week, I'm going through a devotion in Devotions for Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas. This devotion focused on how we may feel inadequate as parents or that we don't have "what it takes" to be a good parent. We all deal with self-doubt, especially in our capitalist society, which generally places our self-worth on what money, time, or skills on what we can contribute. Thomas encourages us to remember that God is sovereign and they* have…
I got the book Devotions for Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas for my birthday (thanks, Ryan!). There are 52 devotions, so I plan to do one every Friday and write up a post of my reflections over the weekend. This week started off with these verses from Psalm 139: "Where can I go from your Spirit?Where can I flee from your presence?If I go up to the heavens, you are there:if I make my bed in my…
One evening a few years ago, I was walking around Corvallis. Ryan had left for work, and it was my favorite time of day, when the sun is setting and everything is getting dark and quiet. I went to the river and found a bench. Behind me, a group of friends ran through the water and laughed and took videos and pictures of themselves. I watched the wind move through the trees between me and and wondered…
When I was young, my mental image of God was the stereotypical bearded man who gave gifts and love. He was essentially a more spiritual Santa Claus, and his son was a laughing carpenter. As my family grew and changed, my parents showed me God through Jewish festivals, Hebrew prayers, and Jesus's words.At camps and youth retreats, I looked for God in collective worship, signed covenants with him during emotional altar calls, and prayed to him under stars and at the foot…