Living Free Through the Prayer of Examen. A Conversation with Amy Boucher Pye
Amy Boucher Pye is a retreat leader, spiritual director and author of 7 Ways to Pray, a book exploring time-tested tools for encountering God. When Amy asked me to experiment with the Prayer of Examen, I was excited to test out a new practice. Here's our conversation of how I went and what you can
Three Ways to Reflect on Your Life
In his famous poem The Four Quartets, TS Elliott says "We had the experience, but missed the meaning." How true! Too often life can become one long series of unrelated events - a conversation here, an appointment there, walking the dog, working through our to-do lists - and we miss any deeper significance they hold. If you're anything like me, 2020 is ending in a rush
A Simple Tool to Help You Make Sense of Life
According to the experts, writing in a journal can help you reduce stress, increase creativity, solve problems, and manage conflict. I’ve also found it to be an incredibly helpful tool for making sense of our personal histories. In this season of New-Year reflection, here are four key themes a journal can help you track to
Do You Need a ‘Fallow Year’? The Ancient Art of a Year of Rest
'You reap what you sow' is a powerful principle describing the way much of life works. Plant a seed of goodness, kindness or faith, and a harvest of it will follow later. But the metaphor assumes the seed is sown into healthy soil. What if it's not? What happens when we keep trying to get
Four Reasons Why You Should Try a Social Media Fast
I’ve just completed a four-week social media fast. My time offline left me more energised, clearer in thought, and less annoyed, depressed and jealous (this might be a revealing post!) Here's what I learned and why I think it's worth scheduling a periodic social media fast into your calendar too.
In a Fast Food World, Are We Losing the Art of Sacred Meals?
When was the last time you had a truly special meal where you left the table changed, uplifted, fulfilled? You came burdened but left lighter (at least emotionally). Your soul was filled, not just your stomach. We need more of these sacred meals. But what is it that makes a meal truly sacred? A few
These 8 Exercises Can Help You Find God & Deepen Your Spiritual Life
'The unexamined life isn't worth living,' said Socrates. 'Superficiality is the curse of our age,' according to Richard Foster. If so, how do we stop and examine our lives to go deeper? I've created 8 exercises to help you do just that.
Why You Should Keep a Journal (But NOT Every Day)
If you’re a journal-keeper from way back, you’ll probably nod in sage agreement at these 7 great benefits of journaling. But if you’re thinking “Oh, journaling? I tried that once but couldn't keep it up”—then here are the reasons to give it another try. There's also 8 tips to get you started, and a sneak
These 5 Practices Can Help You Build Resilience (FREE eBook)
Researchers into resilience are agreed: there are mental, emotional, social, and spiritual factors that help build inner strength in us. In my book 'Resilient: Your Invitation to a Jesus-Shaped Life' I share how I discovered these factors in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. In this accompanying ebook, I invite you to explore five practices implicit
049 Life With God: The Richard Foster Interview
Richard Foster is one of the most significant spiritual writers of our day. The author of bestselling books like 'Celebration of Discipline' and 'Life with God', his life is dedicated to helping us live deeply in a superficial world. In this personal interview you'll hear Richard share his formative experiences, his spiritual highs and lows,