Kimberly Crispeno:: Living an Intentional Life

We recently had the opportunity to hear from Kimberly Crispeno about living intentionally in this season of motherhood. Even though most days we're only able to be about as intentional as making sure there's a vegetable on the dinner table, Kimberly gave us tools to focus on intentional living. We received The Prayer of Examen, which helps us "discern what God is saying in and through circumstances, encounters, and minutia of our days."

To practice the prayer, choose the best time of day, be still and quiet, and invite the Holy Spirit to be present as you reflect on the last 24 hours. When you feel quiet and settled, ask yourself two questions.

Examples:
  What was most life-giving/energizing for me in the last 24 hours? What was most draining?
  What left me feeling full and alive? What left me feeling empty or deadened?
  For what moment in the last day am I most thankful? For what moment am I least thankful?
  When did I give and receive the most? When did I give and receive the least?
  What led me closer to God? What pulled me away from God?
  What was nourishing? What was not?

As you identify your answers, shape them into a prayer. Thank God for the gifts and ask for help where you struggled. This prayer is a tool that can help increase our ability to discern how God is speaking in our lives and understand more clearly what connects/disconnects us from God, others, and ourselves.


For Further Thought...

1. What gets int he way of you living your life intentionally?
2. What helps you live intentionally?
3. What might be the fruit that would come in your life and your home from living more purposefully?
4. What recently has made you feel alive? What is something you can identify that has sucked the life out of you?
5. What is God's invitation to you from today's session?

Click HERE for the recording of Kimberly's talk.

Enjoy!

Marisa Gronholz:: Living Out Wonder, Hope, & Kindness in Our Relationships

A few weeks ago, we heard from UPC's own Marisa Gronholz and enjoyed her words on "From Starry-Eyed Friends to Shining Star Friendship: Living Out Wonder, Hope, and Kindness in Our Relationships." I think I can speak for us all when I say that Marisa helped us take a closer look at our friendships, from how we define our friendships to possible relationships that need a bit of tending. 

Take some time with her talk if you can and consider the questions below.

Click HERE for the recording of Marisa's talk. 

Enjoy!

For Further Thought...

1. What does "friend" mean to you? What did you learn about friendship from your mother or other mentors and models in your life? Are you living into that model or rebelling from it?
2. Is there a friendship or relationship in your life right now where you feel hopeless? Where you've been hurt? Where there is contempt for that person?
3. Where is unkindness showing up in your life? Are you kind and safe to yourself? For other people? Is there a friendship right now that could use some kindness--that safe, womb-life space? What might it look like for your to be kind to this person?  

Contact Marisa for further discussion/coaching/listening! 

Sarah Callender:: I wonder

Okay, ladies--we have a lot to catch up on.
Follow me back to one of our first meetings and a delightful talk from UPC's own, Sarah Callender. She is a wife, mother, writer and all-around fabulous human who gave great life to our MOPS theme this year, We Are the Starry-Eyed.  Take the time to visit her words on what it means to wonder and stand in awe in this life that feels tedious and lackluster at times. Motherhood can easily swallow our wonder whole, so let's agree to take Sarah's challenge and stop, listen, look, and wonder.
You won't regret it.

 

Click HERE for the recording of Sarah's talk.* 

Enjoy!

 

*There aren't many notes on this talk because they wouldn't do it justice. So if you're stuck unable to listen, find another time to tune in! You're welcome.