by Katelyn Jane Dixon | Jan 6, 2024 | Spiritual Growth
My heart in hiding stirred for a bird. —Gerard Manley Hopkins, “The Windhover” It’s so predictable it’s almost funny. Almost. Every year, like clockwork, the Pacific Northwest changes from a sun-saturated wonderland of fragrant evergreens and sparkling sapphire waters...
by Keren Dibbens Wyatt | Jan 6, 2024 | Spiritual Growth
I am sick, isolated, feeling hopeless. The world tells me I am unwanted, unloved, worse; unneeded. That I am useless, a drain on society’s resources, on my caring husband’s time. A waste of space and breath. It does not say these things out loud or in full, but...
by Stephanie Reeves | Nov 1, 2023 | Spiritual Growth
Dear Reader, As we’re winding down 2023 (can you believe it?) many people like to look back on the last year and list things that brought them joy and things they need to work on. So I thought I’d do a bit of that with you as we cover the topic of “joy” in this...
by Maggie W. Rowe | Nov 1, 2023 | Spiritual Growth
You’ve probably sung these famous words penned by Isaac Watts countless times: Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King. This beloved carol begins on a D note and seven words later, descends a full octave before the music begins to rise again....
by Lindsay Banton | Nov 1, 2023 | Spiritual Growth
I think it’s safe to say that most people assume joy is found in the big, exciting moments. And while I don’t think they’re entirely wrong, I don’t think they’re entirely right either. Yes, those giant events like weddings, grand vacations, or successful book launches...
by Margaret Philbrick | Nov 1, 2023 | Spiritual Growth
We often dumb down joy to equal happiness. But when the question, “What brought you joy today?” surfaces at the dinner table, the answer requires a deeper consideration. Perhaps we don’t think much about joy when we live in an affluent culture where so many things are...
