FOREWORD

I am an avid reader and I have enjoyed being in book clubs to discuss the writing, what we can relate to, what we find puzzling and what we havelearned.

In one of these book clubs we primarily read books of fiction and many of them were on best seller’s lists. A problem arose because many of the books were about extreme trauma and they impacted me deeply. It wasn’t because I had experienced similar traumas. It was because these books surfaced feelings that I didn’t want to feel. So I quit that book club and I joined a club which discussed non-fiction books. The discussions are factually based and generally don’t require me to consider myfeelings.

Don’t get me wrong, I do think feeling is important. Fortunately, I found another outlet for expressing my feelings. It was something new to me. It was called spiritual direction and the simplest definition I can give it is this: it is a way for individuals to aid others with developing a more intimate, personal relationship withGod.

Over the course of several years with a Spiritual Director, I learned different ways to pray which allowed me to sense and experience God’s will for me. Some of the methods included walking meditation, and praying with a variety of objects including clay and pictures. You’ll find how-to instructions in the back for a few of the disciplineslisted.

From the beginning, it was suggested that I journal about my prayer time and this suggestion has made all the difference! Why? Because it allows me to check in with myself by writing what I feel and I can reread what I have written. It also makes me feel better. I get everything off my chest and out of my mind. It makes room for the present day. Don’t believe me? Just try it for a few weeks. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t do it one day or you don’t get to it until right before bed. Just keep at it. You will be so glad youdid!

Additionally, just having a journal lying around allows for the opportunity to write down anything that comes to mind, even the mundane. That’s what I did. My journal became a resting place for my thoughts, ideas and things to do. The way I have written my entries has changed over time but all the formats have provided insights whenever I lookedback.

These are some