When you feel like you’re sinking, just float.
Lie back and rest.
You will be held.
I love dreams. I love that I remember them. I’ve even asked for answers to problems to come to me in my dreams. And they have come. I also have surprise dreams that intrigue me. I love to think about the dream symbols, what they might Continue reading “When you feel like you’re sinking, just float.”
I stand in the flow of God
The flow that rises the sun
the flow that grows plants
the flow that moves the river downstream
The flow of my breath going in, going out
© 2014 Jodi Gehr
Card name: I Stand in the Flow ~ Priest Archetype
Perhaps it is a paradox to follow writing about “Your Inner Child”, the importance of laughter, fun and looking through the eyes of a curious child, with a post about suffering and dying. But life is like that—days that are filled with humor, adventure and joy; followed by days of fear, avoidance, pain and grief; and then there are just plain, ordinary days. On the ordinary days, we long for something more exciting. In the midst of darkness, we would settle for the ordinary. Life is like that. It is natural to avoid pain and to seek comfort, but perhaps in controlling so many aspects of our lives—by numbing, avoiding, manipulating, quitting, leaving or even dying—we deny ourselves an intimacy with God and others. Continue reading “Suffering: A New Level of Intimacy”
Nurture. Reclaim. Heal. Love. Get in touch with. You’ve seen all the book titles of what you are supposed to do with your Inner Child.
Remember when the “inner child” was the popular, spiritual, new-agey buzz phrase? (1980’s?) Back then my sister-in-law, Rachel, and I would dream about replacing our jobs with nurturing our inner child and getting paid for it. There are sooo many books to read, much wisdom to ponder, many wounds to heal. And because, really, it is a full time job to take care of a child. Right? Continue reading “Your Inner Child”
Solvitur Amublando: It is solved by walking. -St. Augustine
We move so quickly. We drive places to get where we are going as quickly as we can. The journey, the driving, is simply a means to an end–get where we need to and then move quickly to the next task. We run, run, run…but often our thoughts and feelings are in another location. They are running, too. Our body, mind and spirit are rarely in the same place at the same time. Perhaps we need to let our souls catch up with our bodies. Continue reading “Solvitur Amublando: It is solved by walking”
I’m not sure how it really started, that I call the monks of Christ the King Priory “
My Favorite Monks”, but I’ve been calling them that for several years now. Once upon a time, I didn’t know ANY monks and now I have “favorite” monks. It was an advertisement in the Lincoln newspaper for a contemplative prayer retreat that brought me to St. Benedict Center (and the Monastery, across the street) in 2002. I am grateful to the monks who have shared their faith and wisdom through contemplative and guided retreats (dozens of them!), the Oblate program, Continue reading “Benedictine Spirituality, Hospitality…and My Favorite Monks”
“Altars can be very powerful…We acknowledge an incarnate God who speaks through symbols and the things of our everyday lives, and responds to our longings. A personal altar is a sacred space where we can re-center and reconnect with the Holy Presence dwelling in our midst–a place to honor the desires of lives with beauty. Altars help give voices to the longings bubbling up within us, long before we can put them into words.” ~The Artist’s Rule, Christine Valters Paintner
I have to confess that having an altar was not my idea. It was a gift of love from my daughter, Jessica, and my friend, Joyce, when I was going through a difficult time. I came home from school one day to furniture rearranged and an altar created with some of my favorite sacred objects, as well as some new ones Continue reading “Altars: A Sacred Space”
I am spending time this week preparing a retreat called Journey to Wisdom. Sometimes I am so sure I know what is wise and what is not-so-wi….well, stupid. I can be pretty quick about making that determination in a variety of situations. In educational jargon, I would say I am proficient at determining wise vs. stupid. I am particularly adept at examining the dilemmas or behaviors of others. Actually, I give myself an A+. I’m fairly certain, even, that I’ve done some not-so-w, well, stupid, things myself. I guess we can all have our stupid moments. So what does it really mean to have wisdom?
Wikipedia tells us, “Wisdom (sophia) is the ability to think and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense and insight, with good intentions.” Having knowledge presumes there is some seeking and hopefully, some finding. Knowledge and experience (according to my experience) come from learning, reading, living, asking questions, trying something new, keeping an open-mind, listening. And insight can come from reflection, observing, asking, seeking, creating, listening, discussing, meditating and praying–I imagine not an exhaustive list.
So can we ever have wisdom? Knowing all, experiencing all, understanding all–sounds more like the definition of God, than of myself. I do not know, experience or understand very much, truth be told. Yet still, I seek.
“The monk, a universal archetype of the search for the divine, represents everything in you that leans toward the sacred, all that reaches for what is eternal.” -Christine Valters Paintner, The Artist’s Rule
This seeking, as a spiritual journey, is never complete. And despite my accuracy in judging wise vs. stupid, I believe it is a journey of a lifetime. I will continue to search, to seek, to lean toward the sacred. So this is what I do with SoulFully You. I seek. I seek to know more about myself and God. I seek so I can share. I read, learn, discuss, pray and create. I consult my inner monk and inner artist.
The inner monk and the inner artist are archetypes that we will explore on the Journey to Wisdom retreat. I will share more with you on a future blog post (after the retreat.) Sharing too much beforehand would not be wise…well, it would be stupid. 🙂
Card name: Seeker
“Nothing is so good for the soul as a spiritual retreat, where, in the requiem of prayers and contemplation, the soul makes 
itself receptive to new insights and energies that come directly from God.
Windows are opened and new lights let in; a strong wind of resolution blows across the soul, driving away the dust that had too long covered it. In silence, one awakens from sleep…” — Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
Upcoming retreats online now! More information about retreats at Retreats and Playshop link.
~Also available for retreats or playshops at your venue.
Email jodigehr@gmail.com for more information.
Card name: The Contemplative
I’ve been thinking a lot about layers lately; that an experience can be looked at from so many different angles. If we are open to receiving, we can keep finding new, enriching meanings long after an experience is over. Peel off the top layer and you have another lesson, a deeper meaning, a story within a story. Reflecting on all of the layers makes life so much more rich, full and filled with purpose.
Things aren’t always what they seem; sometimes they are even more than what they initially appear. There are a lot of layers. Conflict can lead to resolution; discomfort can bring growth. I’m still peeling the layers off my trip to Europe, but I have a good start. I’m making a list (blog post to come), but so far there is one line, spoken by my cousin Jennifer, that stands out for me.
“Sweat is good.”
Yup. That’s what she said. “Sweat is good.” After sightseeing on a hot July day, two bus transfers (that took longer than a walk back would have), a missed train (that was within touching distance) and a frantic drive to the next town to catch said train, my only words when finally boarding, finding a seat and taking a gulp of water were, “I feel gross. I need a shower.”
Jennifer, who grew up in Germany and now lives in India with her husband, Santhosh, says, “Why?”
Why? Are you serious? I’m hot, I’ve been chasing transportation for half a day, I feel sweat dripping down my back as I speak, I’m already worried how I’ll have enough clothes if I sweat this much for 20 more days and before we go out for the evening, I need a shower. So I say, “Don’t you feel sweaty? And gross?”
And that’s when she says, “Sweat is good.”
I can say, I’ve never thought about sweat as good. Sweat is to be avoided. Sweat is discomfort. Aren’t we told not to sweat the small stuff? Not to work up a sweat? And the deodorant commercials that say, “Never let them see you sweat.” Nope, never thought of sweat as good.
After the hurried train ride back to Munich to meet my cousin, Jefferey, there was no time to shower and luckily, no time to even look in the mirror. We checked my luggage into the hotel and sped to the home of friends where we watched the World Cup, a game that put Germany one step closer to the finals. And ya know what? I didn’t even think about needing a shower then. And people (bravely?) sat next to me, so I guess I didn’t need a shower as much as I thought I did.
Ever since then, I’ve been peeling layers off the “Sweat is good” comment.
People all over the world live in discomfort. They are hot, sweaty, lacking clean water, hungry, hurt. The list goes on. And I just feel a little sweaty. People in big cities, even in my own country, walk farther every day to the subway station than I drive to work (less than a mile). In many cities and countries, people have no choice but to walk. They might not be able to afford a car. Or perhaps the streets are so congested, it’s just not efficient. Or there isn’t space to park the car when they get to their destination. I live in Nebraska, the land of endless cornfields and parking lots, but many cities are landlocked and walking is the only option. So I wonder, “Is my sweat better (or worse) than anyone elses?
Perhaps driving to school is a luxury I don’t need. Maybe my body would actually prefer the walk. Maybe it will be uncomfortable at first, but I’m thinking there will be a good lesson in bringing a little bit of Europe back home with me. I will walk to school. I will use my body the way people around the world use their body. I will need to get up a little earlier, wear some good walking shoes, take nice shoes to change into. I’ll feel a little sweaty. I think this is something I can do. I think this is a layer I want to peel off, a lesson I want to learn more about.
So I’ve been walking to school most days for a month now…and I like it. I like the quiet time on the way to school. I say my morning prayers and enjoy the huge Nebraska sky; I remember Germany and I use my body. And I’m a little sweaty when I get to school.
But then again…I’m always a little on the warm side. (My age, perhaps?) How many people do you know who fan themselves with a hard tortilla, meant to be used as a plate at a medieval German restaurant (no utensils provided)? I’m not proud. I can use a tortilla as a fan.
SoulFully You 