How Sexuality and Spirituality Connect
I have had thousands of conversations with men about their spirituality. A man’s spirituality is simply his experience of God. I have not had quite as many, but certainly hundreds of conversations with men about their sexuality. A man’s sexuality is simply his experience of himself as masculine and sexual. But as a spiritual director, […]
Moving Faith from the Head to the Heart
One of the most common struggles that men come to me with for spiritual direction is the divide they feel between their head and heart. It comes up in a hundred different ways, but the gist of it is this: They know something about God, maybe a lot, but they don’t experience Him in their […]
Three Causes of Spiritual Dryness
There are times when connecting with God comes easily. And then there are those times when the connection grows weak or just cuts off. As a spiritual director, men come to see me because they are in a season of spiritual dryness and confused about how to proceed. How to do that all depends on […]
Some Ideas To Consider This Summer
I spent 20 years as a high school teacher, and I still operate with the school calendar in my system. Summer has always been a time to slow down the pace, pick up some fun activities, and reconsider what the next nine months might hold. It has also been a time to refresh my soul […]
How Spiritual Direction Is Different From Therapy and Coaching
Spiritual direction is concerned with finding and responding to God in the midst of pain or disorder as well as in the rest of life. Problem/issue solving is not the primary focus of spiritual direction. (from the Larger Story website, founded by Larry Crabb) Spiritual direction may be a new idea to you (as it […]
Why Walking with God is The Great Adventure
An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered. G. K. Chesterton Imagine, as a 55-year-old man, you were asked to leave your job that you have loved. You would have to leave behind the close relationships you have cultivated for many years. Then imagine that you are asked to become an entrepreneur […]
Why Should I Consider Doing the Ignatian Exercises?
“Go and set the world on fire.” St. Ignatius “I know things about Jesus, but I don’t really feel close to Him.” “How do I know if what I desire to do with my life is what God wants me to do?” “I can read verses about God’s love in the Bible, but I don’t […]
What Is Spiritual Direction? And Why Should I Try It?
Spiritual direction is recognizing God’s amazing work in us and among us in the ordinariness of human existence. – Margaret Guenther Men of all ages come to me for spiritual direction, and they come for all sorts of reasons. Here are two of the more common ones, stated in words similar to what I have […]
Four Changes That Happen To You In Silence
The path to all great things passes through silence. – Friedrich Nietzsche Beginning with my time as a high school teacher and coach, and now as a spiritual director, I have seen a consistent theme emerge when others feel safe enough to be honest. It seems particularly dominant in men, but it can impact women […]
Who are Quiet Days for?
And when should I go on one? “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” Blaise Pascal Between busy work schedules and family commitments, many men struggle to find time to slow down. What is the last time you felt you could turn everything off, or take a […]