Exhibiting a Spiritual Foundation and Ongoing Spiritual Practice

Photo cutline: Prayer and meditation are daily practices.

Loving God, following Jesus Christ and being guided by the Holy Spirit, living a life of Discipleship

• Loving God has always been there. Even when my parents didn’t go to church or talk about God. I started going to church with my first-grade teacher, but I felt the spirit of God long before that. God was in the wind, and in the trees I climbed, in the mud pies I made. I read a book when I was just old enough to read about the “big me” and the “little me” and how God was found in the big me – the me who practiced patience and love. God has been there when I couldn’t see myself succeeding in graduating seminary because of expenses and sickness ruling my household. When two daughters suffered from an eating disorder and it took all the love and finances of our family to get them well, I loved God. As one daughter still battles deep depression, loving God and seeing the big me and big you and big others is part of it.  

Praying Actively and nurturing spiritual practices

• My practice is to begin each day with prayer and meditation.

o  Every morning includes prayers of Thanksgiving.

o  Every evening includes a prayer of intercession for those on the church list and others in need in my life.

• Throughout the day, I perform 5-6 mindfulness check-ins. may experience corporate

Being Called to ordained ministry by God and the church

• I felt called to ministry in mid-life. I questioned my husband at what he could see me doing after journalism and he replied that I would be working as a pastoral caregiver and I knew in an instant this was true. I had a solid rightness in my diaphragm and butterflies in my stomach – as sure as any signs I’ve ever felt in my life.

• I am called to the bedside of patients who want their end-of-life wishes respected. I am called to bless a baby that may not be long for the world by his family. I am called deep listening with those afflicted and their loved ones who experience guilt, sorrow and regret and hope at end of life. I am called to chaplaincy work.

• I am supported in this call by Desert Palm’s Rev. Dr. Tom Martinez and my MID committee at my church.

• I have also been affirmed by my former co-workers in journalism.
  

Continuing discernment of one’s call to ministry

• Work with a spiritual director once a month

• Work with an ordination advisor at least once a month.

• My discernment has been an intense four-year process that culminated in the call to chaplaincy after completing my first 400 hours of CPE.

• Discernment continues for a lifetime
  

Understanding the power of the Holy Spirit at work through the elements of Christian worship to nurture faith

• I am most often moved by the music during a regular service. I often cry as the Holy Spirit moves through song and voice, especially at Desert Palm UCC.

• During a service with a Baptism, I am moved by a rite full of promises. I can feel the Holy Spirit inviting not only an infant or adult, but also the whole congregation to live out the rest of their days learning the Christian way of life.
  

Exhibiting a commitment to lifelong spiritual development and faithful personal stewardship.

• I continue to work in earnest on my own mental, emotional and spiritual grievances and impediments that could block connection with other souls.

• Led class on ways of responding to situations that present too many choices. Teaching this class was about harnessing our spiritual development so we can continue to do good work and make good choices in the stewardship of life.

• Moved deeper into trusting Jesus when the cost of this calling made me doubt I had the money, patience, stamina. strength and compassion to do His work.