Summer for the Spirit
Join me in spiritual practices to soothe, inspire, and empower
Dear Friends,
There’s a warm summer breeze blowing outside as I write to you this morning from the north coast of Ireland. I’ve just come back from a few days at a conference in England, and it’s amazing how just a few days away can change your perspective on the place where you spend most of your time. I look at the vista of sea and sky outside our living room window with fresh eyes. New pink flowers have emerged in the short period I was gone. The tall grass in the meadow has grown even taller. The greens, the greys, the occasional blue of this coastal view pops out in a way that refreshes my soul, especially after sitting on the floor of a crowded airport for a few extra hours yesterday due to a delay.
Although I wasn’t on a pilgrimage, per se, it reminds me of the change in perspective we inevitably get through that spiritual practice. Leaving our comfort zones, noticing the world around us with fresh eyes, feeling refreshed upon our return. I come home with my spirit buoyed, with a gratefulness for the place I call home, with a renewed love for my beloveds, with a refreshment for the work I’m doing.
I’ve been gearing up for something I’m calling Summer for the Spirit ~ a summer to prioritize spiritual practices that cultivate wellbeing in body, mind, and spirit. In the world right now, with disturbing news hitting us left and right, and real choices of how we must respond, and serious implications on mental health (our own and those around us), I see this not as wishy-washy escapism, but as a matter of urgency.
Since I was young, I’ve turned to spiritual practices as a way to find grounding when things feel turbulent, to gain inspiration when the way forward is unclear, and to muster up courage when tangible action is needed. As a spiritual director and retreat leader, I’ve witnessed that these practices are transformative and life-changing for us, especially when we’re facing challenging situations.
Spiritual practices have, for thousands of years, been a source of empowerment for people of faith who sought ways to respond to injustice or cruelty or conflict in the world around them, and who paved a way toward a vision of a better future they couldn’t see yet.
So, I invite you to join me in a Summer for the Spirit.
For your spirit, yes ~ to soothe your spirit and offer yourself moments in your day to find peace, solace, comfort. We need to be able to tap into that deep wellspring of what is life-giving, so don’t get burned out and depleted.
But these practices are not only self-serving. The inspiration, energy, focus, and motivation we can find through spiritual practices help us develop the courage we need to be engaged, to make a difference, to change the world, to raise our voices for the world of love and mercy, justice and peace that is possible ~ the world God dreams for us.
Read on to find out a few ways you could take part in Summer for the Spirit. And may you find wellbeing for your spirit this summer, so that together we might create a better world ~ for this generation and for the generations to come.
p.s. You’ll be hearing from me more often this summer. For me, this is the spiritual practice of engagement ~ putting myself out there, inviting people in, being present, not putting my head in the sand. I hope you understand. I hope it’s helpful. I’ll be sending out a weekly short email to everyone on my list, but feel free to unsubscribe from those if your email’s getting too crowded. Believe me, I understand. But if you would appreciate little nudges to tend to your spirit this summer, maybe my emails will remind you of the life-giving waters with which we can sustain our spirits in the ordinary moments of our daily lives.
Summer for the Spirit (Jul 1st - Aug 31st)
There are 3 Options for joining me:
Free ~ weekly emails, co-read, podcast, ebook!
Supporting ~ all that plus the 8-module Habits for the Spirit course and Live Zooms at the end of each month (July/Aug), as well as future special offerings throughout the year!
Membership ~ all that plus access to the full Deeper Well membership portal with guest interviews, workshops, reflective resources, book clubs, and be a part of a contemplative, creative, courageous community!
Free Subscribers:
Weekly prompts for simple practices you could incorporate into your day
Summer Book Club: co-read the brand new book Sacred Balance: How Ancient Practices Can Restore Modern Minds, by Miriam Diephouse-McMillan (featuring 9 tools including centering prayer, daily examen, prayers to cultivate mindfulness, compassion, and inner peace, to manage anxiety and rediscover joy)
New podcast series “Something Psalmic” (part of Psalms for the Spirit) in which I interview my guests on what’s lifting their spirits right now
Free Bless My Feet eBook - coming soon!
Supporting Subscribers (monthly or annual):
You’ll get all of the above, plus →
Habits for the Spirit Course (8 modules, refreshed and improved - now hosted on my website with NEW workbooks and printables). Practices explored include: Stillness, Tending, Movement, Beauty, Word, Nourishment, and Connection. Normally £69, but now included in your supporting membership! ***Enroll by July 1st!
Early and discounted access to future offerings, including seasonal workshops, spirituality series, online retreats
Free Bless My Feet eBook and PDF - coming soon!
Join The Deeper Well Membership (monthly or annual)
You’ll get all of the above, plus →
The Deeper Well Membership ~ full access to the membership portal, including guest interviews, workshops, book clubs, reflective resources, and a fascinating, wise, engaged membership community
Monthly Members ~ enjoy full access to the Habits for the Spirit course AND the Deeper Well membership, and you’re free to cancel after Summer for the Spirit ends! (psst ~ this might be the best deal if you want something just for the summer!)
Annual Members ~ enjoy full access to the members’ portal for a whole year, and you’ll be an integral part of shaping and being shaped by this contemplative, creative, and courageous community! (psst ~ this is the package with the very best value!)
As a special thank you to Annual Subscribers to The Deeper Well, I’ll send you or someone you love a paperback copy of the Bless My Feet book! ***But only if you enroll by 1 July!
Blessing for Our Journey
God of refreshment,
refresh our spirits when they feel faint.
Wash over us when we’re overwhelmed
so that what weighs us down
can drift away.
Lift us in the calming river
of your solace
and belonging.
Lighten our way
so that we can know
your way.
Awaken our spirits
so we can face the day,
alive in the wellspring
of your life.
Amen