Spiritual Directors International Announcements

Prayers ...

sdipegge — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:30:11 -0400

Spiritual Directors International receives many prayers for the people and issues that create a concern and cry of the heart. Prayer also flows from kindness, love, and compassion. A prayer can be simple and contain appreciation, presence, and gratefulness.

Meister Ekhart wrote, "If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is thank you, that will suffice."

In this time of world wide web connections, may our varied online prayers continue to cultivate compassion and connection.

Please add your prayer as a comment to this post. Each month SDI will publish a blog post to cultivate compassion and prayer within our global learning community. This ongoing post replaces the "Prayers" blog category.

Click the link below to respond. Your prayer or comment will post within 36 hours.

Peace ...

Prayers...

sdipegge — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 14:59:15 -0500

Kindly join with Spiritual Directors International to offer prayer--wherever and however your tradition and heart guide you.

To understand the world
knowledge is not enough,
you must
   see it,
      touch it
         live in its presence
         and drink the vital heat
         of existence in the very heart
            of reality.
                                   -- Brendan O'Malley

Please add your prayer to this post. Together we are cultivating compassion.

Click the link below to respond. Your prayer or comment will post within 24 hours.

Please pray for the SDI "Cultivating Compassion" 2011 workshop presenters

sdipegge — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 20:00:04 -0500

Will you please pray for the "Cultivating Compassion" workshop presenters who will be in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, April 28 -- May 2, 2011? SDI celebrates more than 40 leaders who will offer teaching and guidance.

An Invitation
Can you imagine the luminous and dynamic power of Cultivating Compassion together?

Travel to Atlanta, Georgia, USA, April 28 – May 2, 2011. A third of attendees will come for the first time. People will arrive from around the world for the annual Spiritual Directors International education events.

Everyone is welcome.

Prayers ...

sdipegge — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:24:59 -0500

Spiritual Directors International receives many prayers for the people and issues that create a concern and cry of the heart.

Henri Nouwen writes,

“There are as many ways to pray as there are moments in life. Sometimes we seek out a quiet spot and want to be alone, sometimes we look for a friend and want to be together. Sometimes we like a book, sometimes we prefer music. Sometimes we want to sing out with hundreds, sometimes only whisper with a few. Sometimes we want to say it with words, sometimes in deep silence. In all these moments, we gradually make our lives more of a prayer and we open our hands to be led by God even to places we would rather not go.”

In this time of world wide web connections, may our varied online prayers continue to cultivate compassion and connection.

Simply add your prayer or by clicking the link below. Your prayer or comment will post within 36 hours.

Peace ...

Spiritual Directors International Celebrates World Peace Day

sdipegge — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:26:05 -0400

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

Today is World Peace Day. Thank you for your meaningful contribution to a world of peace through your ministry and service of spiritual direction. You change the world by listening with compassion.

Today, please unite with Spiritual Directors International by offering a contemplative practice for peace.

Today, please join Spiritual Directors International in spirit as we plant a cedar tree near the Peace and Spirituality Center of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace in gratitude for eight years of sharing office space with the CSJP community.

Today, please link with SDI in spirit as we bless a peace pole that reads, "May Peace Prevail on Earth," in eight languages. I look forward to sharing it with you the next time you visit Bellevue, Washington, USA.

By being peacemakers today, we practice becoming peacemakers every day.

Peace be with you,
Liz
Liz Budd Ellmann, MDiv
Executive Director
Spiritual Directors International

See where Spiritual Directors International Plants Trees

I see you

liz — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:27:28 -0500

“I see you,” Jake says to the tall, blue-skinned, native woman, Neytiri, in the futuristic, sci-fi epic movie Avatar. The greeting implies a connection beyond seeing with only the eyes. Much like the Indian Sanskrit greeting, “Namasté” which means “I bow reverentially to you,” the phrase “I see you” is used throughout the film to communicate a deep respect for the whole being. Not only does Jake learn to truly see Neytiri, but he also learns that deep-seeing leads to revering the interconnectedness in all of life.

My favorite scene involves Jake visiting the Tree of Souls. As a former Marine who is a wheelchair user, Jake becomes more and more involved with Neytiri and the plight of her people. He receives encouragement from Grace, a scientist who works on the “Avatar” project. In the film, he is forced to choose between following corporate orders to destroy a forest or helping the native Na'vi people. At a loss for how to help, he visits the Tree of Souls in the faraway world of Pandora, seeking connection and to be seen as his true self. It’s such an uncharacteristically Marine and corporate male thing to do: Jake the hero pleads for spiritual guidance from a tree and from a strong native woman, Neytiri. I loved it!

Australia member Jack Stuart recently sent me his thoughts about the film, “In light of Marysville and Black Saturday, I found Avatar a fascinating movie that has a strong element of caring for our planet and at times calls for a contemplative approach to our living. I'm not too sure if the makers realised this. [Carl] Jung said that often we are not aware initially of the import of what we say or do.”

In spiritual direction, we listen with more than our ears. We listen with our hearts for the whole being of the people we companion. We offer the opportunity to be seen and to be heard.

What a privilege to live in a time when the ministry of spiritual direction is “being seen” by more and more people, thanks to helpful media coverage like the brand new PBS Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly television program. Like Jake, people want to learn about spirituality and be truly seen and heard. Thank you for helping people awaken to the connections among seeing, listening, and tending the sacred in all of life.

Left Knee Surgery

sdipegge — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:08:49 -0500

I ask for your supportive prayer as I prepare for left knee surgery on 3-3-10. I have been & continue to trust in our loving GOD. The knee is important but it is surrounded by a live sciatica nerve & other complications. I am trusting in the Infinte One to take care of it all. I feel his Presence deeply but sometimes lose my focus. Sending Light & Energy my way will be appreciative from all of you. Blessings, Joan

Emotional healing

sdipegge — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:47:21 -0500

Please pray for me to forgive God, myself, and my parents due to years of child/teen abuse. May God heal me of depression, anger, bitterness, and feeling unloved. Secondly, may God supply financial help/work. Thank you-Samuel

Prayer Request

sdipegge — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:10:14 -0400

Would like your prayers for my son in law, who has Glioblastoma, which is one type of brain cancer. He has a wife and 3 children, who are all having a difficult time as they watch the changes in him. They know God is with them, but the journey is still very hard. My daughter and son-in-law's children are age ten and under. Thank you very much for this opportunity for prayer. A friend of mine just returned today from your conference in Ireland. Can't wait to hear about it. God bless.

job loss

sdipegge — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:08:24 -0400

I have just been told that my second part-time job will be reduced significantly. I am making an attempt to stay current on all of my bills. I pray that God will provide for me like He does with the birds. I know in my heart He will. Please, Lord, help me release the fear...the fear of not having enough, the fear of the unknown, and the fear of change.