Finding Your Spiritual Flow
/It began with HUNGER. My own hunger. And the hunger of those who sat in my presence sharing about their lives.
We spoke about loneliness, disappointing relationships and a hunger for connection with more substance and depth.
We spoke about busyness, distraction and a hunger to stay more centered and grounded.
We spoke about living in these challenging times in an increasingly secular culture and a hunger to live with more faithfulness, purpose and meaning.
We spoke about fear, anxiety, lack of control and a hunger to entrust our lives to the God who creates and holds us all in Love.
Even if our lives were full, our souls were hungry, sometimes even famished.
Out of this shared hunger, FLOW was born. FLOW is a menu of curated spiritual practices, readings, and connection points designed to keep us spiritually nourished. It turns out that much like our bodies need daily nutrition, so do our souls. The occasional taste or meal is just not enough to sustain us, especially in these intense, depleting times. We need regular spiritual nourishment, at least if we hope to live with abiding faith, hope and love.
In the Summer of 2021, I extended the invitation for other seekers to join me. Over the past year and a half, kindred spirits have said yes and joined our delightful, growing community. We have learned and grown together, made some tweaks to the rhythm along the way, and I’m happy to celebrate this journey and invite you once again to join us.
Here are some of the gifts of FLOW -
Sustaining Rhythm - Many people long for a life of prayer, but don’t know where to start. FLOW offers a regular, consistent rhythm that includes daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly times for prayer and reflection. With each practice, I’m happy to offer you guidance, but also encourage you to adapt to suit your own soul and schedule.
Flexibility - Taken as a whole, that can sound like a lot! If we’re already feeling too busy and overwhelmed, how can we possibly add all this? You don’t have to do it all! Participants are invited to find a rhythm that works for them. Maybe you like the Monday Soul Tunings and suggested daily readings. Maybe you like the bi-weekly Contemplative Prayer Circles and the Sacred Pause Retreats. With the exception of the retreat afternoons, most everything is offered virtually, so you can stay in the comfort of your own home, and tune in for 30 minutes-one hour per week. Even this small commitment can make a big difference.
Community of Kindred Spirits - Even if we’re part of a faith community, many of us feel like we’re on our own in our spiritual journeys. While we have our own unique souls and journeys, we do not have to go it alone. In FLOW, we find other seekers and practice being a community of solitudes, focused on our own inner work but surrounded and nourished by the support, encouragement and care of other wise souls.
Shared Spiritual Readings - There are so many incredible spiritual teachers, books and resources out there. But it can be a little overwhelming or confusing to choose. I love listening to the group and curating daily readings, season by season. It is powerful to all be reading something together on a daily basis, and this gives us common teaching and language that informs our personal reflection and communal conversations.
Gentle Accountability - We may all long for more spiritual discipline in our life. But left to our own devices, we often flame out. Having a recommended structure and community keeps us showing up. When we do get off track, we gently bring ourselves back.
Soul Nourishment - There is so much in our world that seduces us away from our soul’s true longing to be connected in love with Source and one another. St. Augustine prayed, “O God, you have made us for Yourself and our hearts our restless until they rest in You.” We can forget this, or seek satisfaction in thousands of other less-than-satisfying ways. FLOW reminds us of our true hunger, and invites us to come pull up a chair and feast with God in the Beloved Community.
Gratitude Perks - In gratitude and honor of those who make this investment in their spiritual lives, I offer early invitations and discounts to Deep Waters offerings, including Women’s Spirituality Groups, the February’s Women’s Spiritual Renewal Retreat, the quarterly Sacred Pause Retreats, and other seasonal groups and classes. An ANNUAL subscription also offers an additional discount and a complimentary Spiritual Direction session.
Whether you already have a regular prayer practice or don’t know where to start, whether you are here in Atlanta or elsewhere, whether you have a faith community you call home or have struggled to find your people or place, I sincerely hope Flow will meet you where you are and provide a way to begin or deepen your experience of both prayer and community. AND . . .
Now is an ideal time to check out FLOW! The season of Advent begins November 27, the Sunday after Thanksgiving . So if you subscribe now, you can try on some or all that FLOW offers for the season and see if it’s something you’d like to continue in the new year. I would love to welcome you into our community of kindred spirits and support your spiritual journey during this holy season.