Why Discerning Together?

Discerning

Discernment is an apt word for what happens during spiritual direction because it suggests both listening and seeing. In Spiritual Direction, we spend our time listening for the voice of God as well as looking for what he is forming or has formed in the life of the directee.

Discernment also has a long historical use in writings of the mothers & fathers of the Christian faith. In a spiritual sense, “discernment is prayerfully seeking to understand how God wants us to live, act, and grow in our lives. We are aware that God has a will and also gives us appropriate and boundaried freedom to choose as his children.” (Karen Cartmell, Ignatian Spiritual Director)

Together

The Bible speaks again and again about how important community is for the Christian life. Though we might  have times where we practice solitude with God, we are primarily created for relationship. For many, this is both the most natural and most challenging aspect of our lives.

Yet, as we grow in our ability to both speak and listen to another, we begin to grow in our ability to do so with God. Spiritual Direction provides a particular kind of space where we can sit with another and “practice the presence of God.”

“I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;
    he heard my cry for mercy.
Because he turned his ear to me,
    I will call on him as long as I live.”

Psalm 116:1-2

A little about me…

Roles (Past): residential supervisor for young women's recovery home, small group leader, youth pastor, global missions non-profit board, pastoral intern, biblical studies & spiritual formation student, Capernwray student, inner-city UK intern ministry, Camino de Santiago pilgrim, Ignatian retreatant

Roles (Present): directee, spiritual director, group direction facilitator, friend, wife, full-time caretaker (brother w/ Down Syndrome), SoCal native, Fallbrook Resident, avid reader of mystery novels, lover of sacred art, high fantasy nerd & drinker of Chai Lattes

Training (Completed): Master's in Spiritual Direction & Soul Care at Talbot Seminary Institute for Spiritual Formation

*Member of the Christ-centered Spiritual Director's Association (CSDA) & insured by the American Professional Agency