SoulWork Offerings
Book Studies and Spiritual Practices
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17
Studying a book within a small group is a wonderful way to learn and grow as we share from our own unique perspectives. These small groups of 12-15 individuals meet weekly for 6-8 weeks to discuss a particular book addressing spiritual growth and/or personal development. Within the context of the book, we will discuss how various spiritual practices might enhance our experience and deepen our connection with God, ourselves, and others.
online retreat: Self-care as Spiritual Practice
Jesus invites us to “Love others as well as you love yourself.” Mark 12:29 MSG
Most of us focus on the first part of this lesson by trying harder and harder to love others while neglecting ourselves. Yet Jesus adds this condition to our loving - that it begins with nurturing love within ourselves first. It is from the care and love we give ourselves that we can more fully love others.
If you feel a stirring within as you read this, then perhaps the Spirit is inviting you to learn more about this 28-day online retreat.
To learn more details about what has been prepared in this retreat, and to hear what others have to say about their own experience, click the button below. I look forward to sharing this journey with you.
Dinner & Storytelling
“All sorrows can be borne if you put them into a story or tell a story about them.” ~Isak Dinesen
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” ~Maya Angelou
Do you have a story you've been wanting/needing to share? One that has been weighing you down, holding you back, or perhaps a story you feel would bless someone else? Dinner & Storytelling is about being in community, sharing a meal, and sharing our stories in a safe and compassionate environment.
Each storyteller will share their story based on the theme. We spend time discussing how to be active and intentional listeners before the storytelling portion begins and we finish with a brief time of reflection. There is tremendous value in holding space for others; thus, the listener is a valued participant and welcome at the table.
soundtrack for life gatherings
“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.” ~Victor Hugo
“Music is the shorthand of emotion.” Leo Tolstoy
Throughout our lives, we collect songs - songs that soothe, heal, inspire, encourage. Just like in a movie, those collected songs become a soundtrack for our lives. They punctuate the chapters of our life. They lift us up when we’re discouraged, get us through difficult moments, and help us celebrate the amazing moments along our journey.
What song tells a part of your story? I imagine we share a few songs in our soundtracks. Each song tells a story about you and your life.
When you attend a Soundtrack for Life Gathering, you come as a storyteller or a listener. The storytellers will share their story about a particular song and how it has impacted them in a particular moment or for a season and then we’ll play the song for everyone to hear. The listeners will bear witness to the significance of how the song and story are intertwined.
Storytelling Circles
“It’s important that we share our experiences with other people. Your story will heal you and your story will heal somebody else. When you tell your story, you free yourself and give other people permission to acknowledge their own story.” ~Iyanla Vanzant
The structure of Storytelling Circles is an in-depth storytelling experience within the context of a group. Groups of six to eight individuals meet for six weeks to share stories with each other based on a different theme each week.
Each participant will share their personal story based on the theme. We will spend time discussing how to be an active and intentional listeners and its importance before the storytelling begins. We will finish with a brief time of reflection. Groups will be formed based on interest or as part of a small group that desires to share in this experience together.
Here is a sampling of previous themes:
Who are you missing? Stories of Grief and Loss - Stories about Letting Go - Women and Their Stories - Stories about Waking Up: Ah-ha Moments that Changed You - Stories about Starting Over
Your Spiritual Autobiography
“Without knowledge of self, there is no knowledge of God.” ~ John Calvin
These great words of John Calvin remind us of the importance of inside out spiritual living. We need to journey inward and know our true selves on the way to a more intimate relationship with God.
One of the ways we can do this is by spending time in prayer and reflection as we walk through various seasons of our lives to gain understanding about ourselves and how God has been present in all times, even when we did not realize it at the time.
You are invited to go deep into your own spiritual story through the process of prayer, reflection, journaling, and conversation with a spiritual companion who will walk with you on this journey. This intensive experience involves work done on your own, and meeting with me once per week via ZOOM for a month (at minimum).
As one who has engaged in this process, it has helped me see more of what God has done, and is doing, in my life; it has opened up space within me for deep healing; and it is soul work that I continue to review in my time with God to learn more about what God wants me to know about each season of my life. This work is helpful and meaningful for each individual.