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Invitation to Poetry: The Gifts (and Challenges) of Winter

Welcome to the Abbey’s 54th Poetry Party (it has been long overdue)! I select an image and suggest a theme/title and invite you to respond with your own poem. Scroll down and add it in the comments section below. Feel free to take your poem in any direction and then post the image and invitation on your blog (if you have one), Facebook, or Twitter, and encourage others to come join the party! (permission is granted to reprint the image if a link is provided back to this post) On Sunday, January 15, I will draw a name at random from the

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January 9, 2012

Give Me a Word – reminder!

The Give Me a Word invitation ends tomorrow – stop by to see over 400 responses, share your own word and receive a free gift, and enter a drawing to win some lovely prizes! It has been an amazing gift to read the reflections coming in – it gives me a profound sense of hope and joy to know how many of you are reflecting on what will challenge you in the coming year, listening to what is calling forth your heart’s deep longing.  Thank you to everyone who has participated!

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January 5, 2012

More Winter Angels

It’s great to live by the spirit, to testify day by day for eternity, only what’s spiritual in people’s minds. But sometimes I’m fed up with my spiritual existence. Instead of forever hovering above I’d like to feel a weight grow in me to end the infinity and to tie me to earth. I’d like, at each step, each gust of wind, to be able to say “Now.” Now and now” and no longer “forever” and “for eternity”. . . it would be rather nice coming home after a long day to feed the cat, like Philip Marlowe, to have

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December 26, 2011

Winter Angels

Christmas blessings my dear Abbey friends! May the angels of winter carry you through the long nights and inspire many dreams. *(angels found in Vienna)

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December 25, 2011

Practices for the 12 Days of Christmas

My newest column is available at Patheos: What good is it to me if Mary gave birth to the Son of God fourteen hundred years ago and I do not also give birth to the Son of God in my time and in my culture? We are all meant to be Mothers of God. —Meister Eckhart (15th century German mystic) Advent immerses us in themes of darkness, waiting, attending, anticipation, and holy birthing.  When we arrive at Christmas, do we celebrate the ways we are giving birth to God in our lives?  The Feast of Christmas honors God becoming enfleshed

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December 21, 2011

Give Me a Word: Third annual Abbey giveaway

Two years ago I began what has now become an annual tradition at Abbey of the Arts during this time of new year reflection.  I offer the same invitation this year, again with some prizes to give away on January 6th, and this time with a free gift for everyone who participates. *Everyone* who shares their word for the year and a brief description in the comments below also gets a *free guided meditation recording* from the Abbey with an *Embodied Examen Prayer for the New Year.*  It is a great way to reflect on the past year and tend your dreams for

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December 21, 2011

*Savor* – my word for 2012

Each year for the last two years I have invited readers to share a word that has chosen them for the year ahead.  Give Me a Word for 2012 will be posted on Wedneday, December 21st and I have lots of wonderful goodies in store for you including a free gift for everyone who participates and a drawing for several wonderful prizes on January 6th.  So make sure to come back to the Abbey blog to read more and share your own word with us then.  If you want a reminder, make sure to subscribe to the Abbey email newsletter.

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December 17, 2011

The Artist’s Rule chosen as one of the year’s best!

The wonderful folks over at Spirituality and Practice have chosen The Artist’s Rule as one of their 50 best books of the year under the category of Creativity. You can buy a copy of The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom at Amazon.com or from your local bookseller. Interested in hearing more about the book.  There have been some fabulous reviews including this one at Image Journal (under Features). This past summer I went on a blog book tour and if you are new to the Abbey or the newsletter, here are some interviews and articles you

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December 12, 2011

Abbey Bookshelf: Between Heaven and Mirth

I received a copy of Fr. James Martin’s newest book Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life from Patheos where it is this month’s featured book club selection.  His central premise is that in our churches we often act very grim and forget that humor is a gift of the Spirit. I would go even further to suggest that our capacity to experience deep emotion of any kind has been stunted in our culture in general, but also in our faith communities.  We shy away from genuine experiences of lament

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December 8, 2011

Is God Coming? An Advent Theoblogger Challenge

Patheos offers regular Theoblogger challenges, inviting their writers to respond in 100 words or less.  This month’s challenge asks the question “How is God coming into the world this Advent?” Here is my response: In the Northern hemisphere Advent is the season of growing darkness and waiting in the midst of unknowing. Images of night, mystery, and birthing make my soul sing. During this time that we wait for God’s coming, I pay close attention to my dreams, those nighttime visions that come to show me something new. An angel appeared in a dream to Joseph to tell him to wed

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December 5, 2011