Bold Surrender: Spiritual Formation
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.
*Rest*Heal*Unveil*Reveal*
*Inspire*Meaningful*Captivate*
What is spiritual formation?
Christian spiritual formation is the lifelong process of becoming like Christ—resting in God’s presence, healing what is broken, unveiling false stories, and revealing who we are becoming in Him. It is the slow, honest work of learning how to live with God in real life. Through practices, community, and surrender, we make space for God to reveal who we are meant to become in Christ and to re-form the desires that shape our lives.
Through the quiet work of grace, our loves are re-oriented, our lives are made meaningful, and we are shaped—together, over time—into people whose lives captivate the world with the love of Jesus. A faith that moves from something we believe to someone we become.
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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 formation happens in many forms. Listed below are the details of what I offer.
Teaching
Whether through speaking engagements, seminars, or break out sessions I teach on many different topics surrounding spiritual formation including: 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
Within the topic of spiritual formation, retreats I offer are tailor made to what you are looking for. Whether it's for your church, ministry, non-profit, or a group of friends needing a time away, my goal is to create and host a space giving the Holy Spirit freedom to accomplish all that is desired. Questions asked are who is attending and how many, what is the need, what is the desired outcome, and how much time is set aside.
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.