Bold Surrender: Spiritual Direction
WHY BOLD SURRENDER?
“The little bird wills to fly toward the bright Sun which attracts its eye… climbing up towards the Divine furnace of the Holy Trinity. But alas! The only thing it can do is raise its little wings; to fly is not within its little power.
What will then become of it? Will it die of sorrow at seeing itself so weak? Oh no! The little bird will not even be troubled. With bold surrender, it wishes to remain gazing upon its Divine Sun. Nothing will frighten it, neither wind nor rain, and if dark clouds come and hide the Star of Love, the little bird will not change its place because it knows that beyond the clouds its bright Sun still shines on and that its brightness is not eclipsed for a single instant…”
—My Vocation is Love by Thérèse of Lisieux
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We often find ourselves in this paradox, don’t we? We desire to move towards God, to soak in the light and love of the Holy Trinity, and yet often find ourselves stuck, unable to move, or unsure where to even go because God seems veiled by cloud cover... all of which can leave us feeling confused, weak, or even alone.
However, this isn’t the end… It’s just the beginning!
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This is the point in which we can choose to boldly surrender to Jesus, and all that he wants to do in our lives. And this is where spiritual direction can help.
Walking alongside you
on your journey with God.
What is spiritual direction?
As a spiritual director, my role is that of a companion, coming alongside you and your relationship with God, listening to both your words and the Holy Spirit’s. In other words, as I listen to you process your thoughts, feelings, and deep wrestlings, I am also leaning in to the Holy Spirit to see what he also might be saying or how he might be leading. Along with listening, I may ask clarifying questions, or questions that may direct your thoughts in different directions, sometimes liberating and sometimes challenging, or spark new ones that will hopefully aid you in your continuing journey. While suggesting different spiritual disciplines in the process (sometimes done in our time together), you will seldom hear me offering straight advice. If advice or counsel is what you are seeking then perhaps a mentor, professional counselor, or life coach may be more of what you need, which I can offer recommendations for all.
The general goal of our time together is to discover how God may be leading you in your spiritual formation.
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My Story
Born, raised, and also married in the Bay Area, California, my husband and I moved to Redding, California so I could attend Simpson University where I received my Bachelors degree in psychology. While taking a break from school we expanded our family and had two girls. A few years later I returned to Simpson, but as an employee working with college students. It was my love of journeying with people that I knew it was time to return to school to complete my masters. I attended Portland Seminary, a part of George Fox University, where I received my Masters in Spiritual Formation with an emphasis in Spiritual Direction.
Services
Spiritual direction and formation comes in many forms. From one on one spiritual direction to group direction, to various teachings in seminars or retreats, listed below are the details of what I offer.
Group Spiritual Direction
Group direction will consist of 3-4 people (either participants of your choosing or participating in a group that I can formulate) that will meet once a month. These groups consist of 2 parts. First, we practice a new spiritual discipline each session. This is to help teach and expose you to different ways we can connect with God. Second, each participant will have an allotted amount of time to share the state of his/her soul. Other participants may ask clarifying questions, but that is all. We are practicing the art of Holy Listening and learning to simply be with one another in the journey.
Seminars & Retreats
I offer seminars and retreats on many different topics including: spiritual formation, spiritual disciplines, spiritual disciplines for kids, the art of holy listening, walking with God through the dark night of the soul, spiritual warfare, enneagram as a formational tool, and more.
Retreats can vary in length depending on your need.
Testimonials
Spiritual direction has changed the way I approach everything in my life. It has given me practical steps to understand how to create space for the Holy Spirit to transform me into Christ-likeness. I LOVE engaging in spiritual direction.