By Mindy Caliguire - Thursday, January 14, 2010
A new year, much like a blank journal. Page after page, day after day, is open—wide open—waiting for the future to write itself into our lives.
Like the fresh, clean pages of a new journal, this year brings the promise of things sure to come. Tears I will cry, dreams I will dream, prayers I will pray. Ideas I will, well, ideate (?!).
I am facing new beginnings as I join forces with the Willow Creek Association in some exciting new ways. There are new beginnings for Soul Care, as a team steps forward to help shoulder this vision. “Behold, I am doing a new thing… do you not perceive it?” Isa 43:19. I am surrounded by new things. And I love that.
Yet that rhetorical question from God to us haunts me at times. Right now, at the beginning of this year, I’m hyper-attuned to the noticing… noticing the tragedy in Haiti, noticing the amazing students I’m with this week at Spring Arbor’s MSFL residency, noticing ways God seems to be orchestrating the most minute details in ways that bring life and hope and healing. How exciting it is to notice the activity of God!
But other times, I miss it. I do not perceive it. What a tragedy, to miss what’s right there, right before my eyes??!
One of the things that helps me most to notice… to not “miss” the ever-present activity of God… is to spend time reflecting and writing about what’s happening in my life in those blank pages of a journal.
In January, with the able help of our new team, we’ll focus this blog on how a journal helps us notice.
A journal is a great place to record one “jour”, one day. Let’s take 2010 one day at a time. Noticing. Celebrating. Grieving. Living. Watching, waiting, anticipating… God. The one who makes streams in the wasteland.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.
Mindy's Blog
Just Diving In
By Mindy Caliguire - Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Today I’m needing to find the courage to act on what I know God has called me to do.
I’m learning that’s not a “once and for all” decision; it comes in daily decisions. Today, right now, it looks like being diligent with writing. (OK, I’ll get back to it soon!) But what is it for you? What do you know God has called you to, but it’s easy to get distracted with other things—even good things?
Take a minute now—decide to set those aside and do something directly related to what God has called you to do in this season. Even if it’s to read a book to a toddler because this is a season for investing in small children. Set aside the laundry or whatever else… and bless that little one (or ones) with your undivided attention. Please, no major proclamations for massive change; just a decision for what you’ll choose to do right now. OK so get on with it! It's time to DIVE!
-Mindy
twitter: @mindycaliguire
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mindycaliguire
(re-posted from the DIVE Facebook page... become a fan at Dive: it's time to go deeper!, and follow us on Twitter @DIVEconf)
Today I’m needing to find the courage to act on what I know God has called me to do.
I’m learning that’s not a “once and for all” decision; it comes in daily decisions. Today, right now, it looks like being diligent with writing. (OK, I’ll get back to it soon!) But what is it for you? What do you know God has called you to, but it’s easy to get distracted with other things—even good things?
Take a minute now—decide to set those aside and do something directly related to what God has called you to do in this season. Even if it’s to read a book to a toddler because this is a season for investing in small children. Set aside the laundry or whatever else… and bless that little one (or ones) with your undivided attention. Please, no major proclamations for massive change; just a decision for what you’ll choose to do right now. OK so get on with it! It's time to DIVE!
-Mindy
twitter: @mindycaliguire
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mindycaliguire
(re-posted from the DIVE Facebook page... become a fan at Dive: it's time to go deeper!, and follow us on Twitter @DIVEconf)
Desert Beauty
By Mindy Caliguire - Monday, September 14, 2009
Hi friends--passing along a quote today that was sent to me last week.
....thought you might like it.
Henri Nouwen wrote in Reaching out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life
"As hard as it is to believe that the dry desolate desert can yield endless varieties of flowers, it is equally hard to imagine that our loneliness is hiding unknown beauty. The movement from loneliness to solitude, however, is the beginning of any spiritual life because it is the movement from the restless senses to the restful spirit, from the outward-reaching cravings to the inward-reaching search, from the fearful clinging to the fearless play." (p34)
Looking for Peace for Your Soul? Kicking it Old-School
By Mindy Caliguire - Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Thomas a Kempis (1380 - 1471) wrote the classic devotional work, The Imitation of Christ; which is second only to the Bible in terms of it's impact worldwide on the development of Christian Life.
Recently, this excerpt really struck me and we used it during our last class on Ephesians.
Four Things that Bring Peace to the Soul (p 139)
My son, now I shall teach you the truest way of peace and of perfect liberty.
- Study, my child, to fulfill another person's will rather than your own.
- Choose always to ahve little worldly riches, rather than much.
- Seek, also, the lowest place, and desire to be under others rather than above them.
- Desire always-and praythat the will of God be wholly done in you.
These challenges seem incredulous to our ears today, and likely did to his contemporaries as well!
Does your soul need some peace today? How might these guides serve you, counter-cultural as they are?
Soul Searching--with Melinda Schmidt and Anita Lustrea
By Mindy Caliguire - Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Yesterday, I joined the delightful hosts of Midday Connection, where we talked about a core Soul Care spiritual practice--Soul Searching. Classically known as Examen, or Self-Examination, this form of prayer is all about taking an honest look inside, guided by the Holy Spirit. It was a great conversation--I loved hearing from callers and those who sent emails with questions! Sounds like a lot of us are taking a deep breath and making some brave steps to grow in this area.
Of course, before we went into the deep waters of Soul Searching, we did discuss the dangers of aggressive squirrels! But you'll have to listen to the broadcast if you want to hear about that... Here's the archived recording.
We also talked about...
Yesterday, I joined the delightful hosts of Midday Connection, where we talked about a core Soul Care spiritual practice--Soul Searching. Classically known as Examen, or Self-Examination, this form of prayer is all about taking an honest look inside, guided by the Holy Spirit. It was a great conversation--I loved hearing from callers and those who sent emails with questions! Sounds like a lot of us are taking a deep breath and making some brave steps to grow in this area.
Of course, before we went into the deep waters of Soul Searching, we did discuss the dangers of aggressive squirrels! But you'll have to listen to the broadcast if you want to hear about that... Here's the archived recording.
We also talked about...
- DIVE! Women, mark your calendars for November 7--or guys, let the women in your life know about this--Melinda, Anita, and I are joining forces to do a one day women's event called, Dive! Learn more about it here.
- September 9 begins an eight week journey with Midday Connection listeners to do a small group experience using Discovering Soul Care and then Spiritual Friendships. Grab a few friends and join us!
If you'd like to go deeper in Soul Searching, you can get the book or even listen in on the class at Willow Creek from Fall 2008.
Quotes on the Value of Scripture
By Mindy Caliguire - Thursday, July 23, 2009
During our class at Willow Creek last night, I drew from five GREAT quotes related to the value of Scripture for our lives... posted here for you to enjoy, too.
"Scripture is like a river, broad and deep, shallow enough here for the lamb to go wading, but deep enough there for the elephant to swim." Gregory the Great (540 - 604AD) Moratia in Iob, Book 1
"Even when carrying out needful tasks, keep meditating inwardly and praying. Thus you can grasp the depths of divine Scripture and the power hidden in it, and 'pray without ceasing'." Abba Philimon (late 6th century?) The Philokalia, Volume Two
"Reading seeks for the sweetness of a blessed life, meditation perceives it, prayer asks for it, contemplation tastes it." Guigo H (d. 1188) The Ladder of Monks
"In our meditation we ponder the chosen text on the strength of the promise that it has something utterly personal to say to us for this day and for our Christian life." Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906 - 1945) Life Together
Source: The Spiritual Formation Bible, published by Upper Room ministries, 1999, www.upperroom.org (not in print)
Photos from Ephesus!
By Mindy Caliguire - Sunday, June 28, 2009
One of the members of our Wednesday night class at Willow Creek has been to Ephasus and had terrific photos to share... here are a few!
Ephesus columned entry road:
25,000 seat theater
Mosaic walkway
One of the members of our Wednesday night class at Willow Creek has been to Ephasus and had terrific photos to share... here are a few!
Ephesus columned entry road:
25,000 seat theater
Mosaic walkway
Writing For Your Soul's Future
By Mindy Caliguire - Thursday, June 04, 2009
Journals can be written for all sorts of things... prayer journals, scripture reading journals, gratitude journals, even pregnancy journals or travel journals. They all may be valuable, but what we've been focusing on in the midweek class at Willow Creek these last three weeks is how to write a Soul Care Journal. A place to write for your SOUL. To intentionally pursue authentic connection with God, with the sure hope of soul restoration and transformation. Of course, a soul care journal will likely include prayer, scripture, gratitude, and reflections on one's life. But most importantly, it will be a place to be honest with God about what's currently going on in our lives--in writing.
It's not about being eloquent, or creative, or pithy. It's not about alliteration or sentence structure or vocabulary. It's a place for the very real you to connect with a very real God. (you can listen to the entire series online here (last night's part three will be posted Fri June 5 after noon).
One of the other great values of a journal is that it can be a place to imagine and dream about the future. Far from self-absorption, a journal helps us walk the path of becoming who God intends for us to become--to accomplish the work he has in mind for us, or our calling. (Psalm 138, Eph 2)
Many spiritual directors advise directees to notice their desires, to "own" them, and to bring them to God. Yet often we are quite nervous about our desires, well aware of those petty or even selfish ones that tend to lurk on the surface. What do I want? A Pottery Barn kitchen! New landscaping! A dog that doesn't eat furniture! While they may be surface desires, they are still important for us to name. But deeper, we have desires that have actually been placed there by God. Restored relationships. A sense of purpose. Freedom from an addiction. It is important for us to know them, "own" all of them and bring them to God (even the petty ones) not with a sense of entitlement but rather with a sense of honesty and surrender. Owning those dreams and visions... what we really want... can be essential to unlocking the redemptive story of our future.
"A primary reason most people don't get what they want is they don't know what they want. They haven't defined their dream in clear and compelling detail." (p 30, John Maxwell's Put your Dream to the Test)
One of the best books I've read on the topic of unlocking the future through a deep understanding of the past is Dan Allender's To Be Told (2005). Two of my favorite quotes (that are short enough for this space :))
"If I live my life for me alone, then my story is as dull as my self absorption"
"The more we take responsibility to write our present to honor the past, the greater number of stories there will be in the future that are lived for his glory."
I hope you'll take some time today to be honest with God about what's current in your life--in writing. Be honest about struggles, about your joy, about your hopes and fears and dreams. Write for your soul.
Journals can be written for all sorts of things... prayer journals, scripture reading journals, gratitude journals, even pregnancy journals or travel journals. They all may be valuable, but what we've been focusing on in the midweek class at Willow Creek these last three weeks is how to write a Soul Care Journal. A place to write for your SOUL. To intentionally pursue authentic connection with God, with the sure hope of soul restoration and transformation. Of course, a soul care journal will likely include prayer, scripture, gratitude, and reflections on one's life. But most importantly, it will be a place to be honest with God about what's currently going on in our lives--in writing.
It's not about being eloquent, or creative, or pithy. It's not about alliteration or sentence structure or vocabulary. It's a place for the very real you to connect with a very real God. (you can listen to the entire series online here (last night's part three will be posted Fri June 5 after noon).
One of the other great values of a journal is that it can be a place to imagine and dream about the future. Far from self-absorption, a journal helps us walk the path of becoming who God intends for us to become--to accomplish the work he has in mind for us, or our calling. (Psalm 138, Eph 2)
Many spiritual directors advise directees to notice their desires, to "own" them, and to bring them to God. Yet often we are quite nervous about our desires, well aware of those petty or even selfish ones that tend to lurk on the surface. What do I want? A Pottery Barn kitchen! New landscaping! A dog that doesn't eat furniture! While they may be surface desires, they are still important for us to name. But deeper, we have desires that have actually been placed there by God. Restored relationships. A sense of purpose. Freedom from an addiction. It is important for us to know them, "own" all of them and bring them to God (even the petty ones) not with a sense of entitlement but rather with a sense of honesty and surrender. Owning those dreams and visions... what we really want... can be essential to unlocking the redemptive story of our future.
"A primary reason most people don't get what they want is they don't know what they want. They haven't defined their dream in clear and compelling detail." (p 30, John Maxwell's Put your Dream to the Test)
One of the best books I've read on the topic of unlocking the future through a deep understanding of the past is Dan Allender's To Be Told (2005). Two of my favorite quotes (that are short enough for this space :))
"If I live my life for me alone, then my story is as dull as my self absorption"
"The more we take responsibility to write our present to honor the past, the greater number of stories there will be in the future that are lived for his glory."
I hope you'll take some time today to be honest with God about what's current in your life--in writing. Be honest about struggles, about your joy, about your hopes and fears and dreams. Write for your soul.
Making All Things New
By Mindy Caliguire - Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Hello friends! Welcome to the new Soul Care site and, here, the blog. It has been a long labor process, with many voices and many visions... finally brought over the finish line by my new friend Ben Jordan, of Big Bad Collab. He is a rock star of design and web development, but that's not even the most important thing. Ben and his business partner Mark have a huge vision for the Kingdom of God and even huger hearts to follow Jesus. I am immensely grateful for their friendship and leadership in bringing the vision of this site to reality. With enthusiasm, creativity, grace, and excellence. You could say I'm a raving fan!
It has been nearly 18 months in the making... 18 months of dreaming about a place online where folks who attend Soul Care classes, or seminars, or who read the books or are simply eager to connect deeply with God can come together and share ideas, share experiences, and be refreshed. We hope you'll find here an oasis on the web for your soul. A place of refreshment; a place to stop and stay awhile on the journey. Take a seat. In the "chair". Connect with God and others. That's our dream. So, I hope you'll take some time to mess around with the various features. We've never done a forum before! We'll all be learning. And we'd love your feedback.
So there's a few new things going on. Lately, I've been trying to pay attention to what's NEW in my life, in the spirit of Isaiah 43:19a "See, I am doing a new thing... now it springs up, do you not perceive it?" Could it be we actually miss the activity of God? I know sometimes I do. So I've been keeping a list of what's NEW in my journal.
How about you? What's NEW for you lately?
Circumstances? Attitudes? Lessons? Can you see God's hand?
Hello friends! Welcome to the new Soul Care site and, here, the blog. It has been a long labor process, with many voices and many visions... finally brought over the finish line by my new friend Ben Jordan, of Big Bad Collab. He is a rock star of design and web development, but that's not even the most important thing. Ben and his business partner Mark have a huge vision for the Kingdom of God and even huger hearts to follow Jesus. I am immensely grateful for their friendship and leadership in bringing the vision of this site to reality. With enthusiasm, creativity, grace, and excellence. You could say I'm a raving fan!
It has been nearly 18 months in the making... 18 months of dreaming about a place online where folks who attend Soul Care classes, or seminars, or who read the books or are simply eager to connect deeply with God can come together and share ideas, share experiences, and be refreshed. We hope you'll find here an oasis on the web for your soul. A place of refreshment; a place to stop and stay awhile on the journey. Take a seat. In the "chair". Connect with God and others. That's our dream. So, I hope you'll take some time to mess around with the various features. We've never done a forum before! We'll all be learning. And we'd love your feedback.
So there's a few new things going on. Lately, I've been trying to pay attention to what's NEW in my life, in the spirit of Isaiah 43:19a "See, I am doing a new thing... now it springs up, do you not perceive it?" Could it be we actually miss the activity of God? I know sometimes I do. So I've been keeping a list of what's NEW in my journal.
How about you? What's NEW for you lately?
Circumstances? Attitudes? Lessons? Can you see God's hand?
A Holy Longing
By Mindy Caliguire - Saturday, January 24, 2009
"I have come to bring fire on the earth,
and how I wish it were already kindled!
But I have a baptism to undergo,
and what constraint I am under
until it is completed!"
(two exclamation points!)
In reading Luke 12:49-50 this morning, I am struck by something I've never noticed: Jesus felt the constraint of the not-yet reality of being human. The "baptism" he needed to undergo was his own death and resurrection. "How I wish [the fire he would one day bring] were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo..." Divine patience! A Holy Longing!
Imagining Jesus feeling constraint as he waited for God's timing and plan to unfold stops me in my tracks this morning. Each of us feel that... and I find his example to me, today, is mixed. We, Jesus and I, are not alike.
Un-similarly (yes, I know it's not a word), he knew the exact reason for the delay, and his knowledge of the bigger picture in this case clearly bolstered and under-girded his willingness to wait on God's timing despite Holy Discontent. He is content to wait, because he knows full well what must happen first. We don't always know the reasons why perfectly good desires--even "ministry" desires--are delayed. Hardly ever, in my experience.
But similarly, I am able to wait on God's timing--even when I don't know the "why". Jesus could see, and I cannot. But though I cannot see, I can still trust the unseen One who surely governs my world.
This story affirms for me both the emotional tension of living in the "now" and the "not yet"--and also the certain promise of God's purposes unfolding.
It does really feel like constraint--aligned with, in our case, blind but firm hope.
How about you... have you experienced a Holy longing?
What did you do with that tension between the "now" and the "not yet"?
"I have come to bring fire on the earth,
and how I wish it were already kindled!
But I have a baptism to undergo,
and what constraint I am under
until it is completed!"
(two exclamation points!)
In reading Luke 12:49-50 this morning, I am struck by something I've never noticed: Jesus felt the constraint of the not-yet reality of being human. The "baptism" he needed to undergo was his own death and resurrection. "How I wish [the fire he would one day bring] were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo..." Divine patience! A Holy Longing!
Imagining Jesus feeling constraint as he waited for God's timing and plan to unfold stops me in my tracks this morning. Each of us feel that... and I find his example to me, today, is mixed. We, Jesus and I, are not alike.
Un-similarly (yes, I know it's not a word), he knew the exact reason for the delay, and his knowledge of the bigger picture in this case clearly bolstered and under-girded his willingness to wait on God's timing despite Holy Discontent. He is content to wait, because he knows full well what must happen first. We don't always know the reasons why perfectly good desires--even "ministry" desires--are delayed. Hardly ever, in my experience.
But similarly, I am able to wait on God's timing--even when I don't know the "why". Jesus could see, and I cannot. But though I cannot see, I can still trust the unseen One who surely governs my world.
This story affirms for me both the emotional tension of living in the "now" and the "not yet"--and also the certain promise of God's purposes unfolding.
It does really feel like constraint--aligned with, in our case, blind but firm hope.
How about you... have you experienced a Holy longing?
What did you do with that tension between the "now" and the "not yet"?
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