At the end of August, 17 creative souls gathered with us for our retreat on Inismor – Writing on the Wild Edges of the World. We had a wonderful group with participants from all over the U.S., Canada, Singapore, and Australia. I am delighted to share some of their poems over these next few weeks. Pour a cup of tea, imagine yourself on a windswept limestone island in the Atlantic, and savor for a while. From Francine E. Walls: The Abbot of Inis Mor turns to his Flock Pow!  Waves stomp on sand, a fringe of lace spreads out, rooted

Christine joins Carl McColman at Encountering Silence to explore the intersections of silence, spirituality, contemplation, creativity, and living as a monk in the real world. “I believe in the revolutionary power of stillness and spaciousness, and of practicing presence to life’s unfolding. I believe this commitment can change the world.” — Christine Valters Paintner Christine offers a special treat at the end of the conversation — she reads a never-before-published poem of hers, “Saint Francis and the Grasshopper.” Listen to the interview here >>

“I believe in the revolutionary power of stillness and spaciousness, and of practicing presence to life’s unfolding. I believe this commitment can change the world.” — Christine Valters Paintner Christine joins Carl McColman at Encountering Silence to explore the intersections of silence, spirituality, contemplation, creativity, and living as a monk in the real world. She also offers a special treat at the end of the conversation — she reads a never-before-published poem of hers, “Saint Francis and the Grasshopper.” Listen to the interview here >>

We welcome you to submit your reflection for possible publication in our Monk in the World guest post series. It is a gift to read how ordinary people are living lives of depth and meaning in the midst of the challenges of real life. There are so many talented writers and artists in this Abbey community, so this is a chance to share your perspective. The link to the reflection will be included in our weekly newsletter which goes out to thousands of subscribers. Please follow these instructions carefully: Please click this link to read a selection of the posts and get a feel for the

This week I had the delight of being interviewed on two different radio shows about my new book The Soul’s Slow Ripening: 12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred. Tune into The Soul-Directed Life to hear me talk about encircling prayer, seasonal rhythms, and three essential things and to hear my answers to Janet’s three intriguing questions about prayer at the end of our conversation. Tune into Radiantly You! to hear me talk about the gifts of autumn and some of the stories of the Irish monks, including St. Gobnait and her dream and St. Kevin and the blackbird.

Our Ireland retreats and pilgrimages are full already for 2019, however we have two new opportunities for you to join Christine for creative inspiration and contemplative deepening:           Writing on the Wild Edges in the Pacific Northwest March 10-14, 2019 Join us at St. Andrew’s Retreat House on the Hood Canal for a 4-night creative writing retreat. This retreat is normally offered only in Ireland, so take advantage of this opportunity to journey to the wild edges in a supportive community of kindred souls. Limited to 14 participants. More details and registration here >> (Christine will