Three Strands Ministries

09/29/2025

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God,

Is it prayer
When I walk through woods
And breathe deeply of the fresh air and feel my heart full of gratitude
For the gift of life?

God,
Is it prayer
When I stroke my doggy’s proffered belly,
On the back deck basking in early autumn sunshine,
And feel my heart full with love for a beautiful, sentient being
Who depends on me?

God,
Is it prayer
When I no longer have words to speak
Over the brokenheartedness of the world
And my heart fills with sadness and my eyes with tears?

God,
Is it prayer
To simply lift those I love,
Placing them in your capable hands,
Or seeing them surrounded by the light of your glory,
Or gently held by Jesus in an embrace
Meant to soothe their pain?

God,

It is prayer.
All of it.

You, in whom we love and move and have our being,
How can it not be?

09/27/2025

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I felt a little heart-bruised this week with some things that felt heavy. As I walked along the trail, lost in some negative thoughts, suddenly these bright red leaves kept catching my eye.

I could hear the whisper of the Spirit ….

“Notice”

And so I did.

I noticed the feelings underneath my thoughts.

I noticed the red leaves.

Then I noticed how they reminded me of Moses’ experience of the burning 🔥 bush.

It seemed as though God was trying to redirect my attention.

“Yes, things feel a bit heavy… but I am here with you…”

I smiled.

And I turned aside from my own thoughts and directed my gaze toward the One who holds us in our hardships.

Perhaps you sense an invitation to pause and
to notice.

If you wish, take a few breaths and become aware of God’s presence with you.
Ask God to help you notice what needs to be tended to.
Bring whatever you notice, within or without, to God in conversation.

Blessings, friends.

🙏

09/16/2025

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My work space for the day was Dove House, a beautiful stone house on the property of Crieff Hills Retreat Center.

I was “host” to several hard-working people who needed space and quiet to rest their busy minds and hearts, as they all pour into others in deep ways in daily life.

If you are someone who needs a day of respite for your soul, please go to the Crieff Hills website and check out their Quiet Days at Dove House.

What a gift it is!

✨Bonus was my visit to see the chickens 🐓 🐓on my way out. 😉

09/16/2025

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God
of the beginnings
and the endings,

thank you for your faithful presence.

May I know your hope and peace today in whatever I face.

Amen

09/05/2025

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Such delight this afternoon in a small creative exercise led by a wonderful spiritual director from Anam Cara Ministries.

Blackout poetry:
Random book page, torn from an old book.
Soft gaze as you peruse the page, noticing which words stand out.
Use a marker to black out the rest of the lines of text and you are left with a piece of poetry!

I will definitely be using this creative practice with some small group time this fall!

08/22/2025

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I don’t just think it… I know you make God happy!

You are a gift to this world! You and your beautiful heart. 💗

From Field Notes for the Wilderness by Sarah Bessey.

08/04/2025

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Lectio divina this morning on my back yard deck with my coffee, bird sounds all around.

I love the way that The Message puts verse 3:
“Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on your altar
and watch for fire to descend.”

•What pieces of your life do you willingly lay on the altar?
•Are there some areas of your life that you feel more hesitant about offering to God?

Spend some time asking the Holy Spirit to reveal anything about that hesitancy that you feel.

07/14/2025

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After a week in the wilderness I return to urban life. I don’t feel quite ready to réengage… with social media, with the news, with the distraction of my phone.

This afternoon I finally gave myself permission to create. I listened to a podcast this morning about creating just for creativity’s sake. I often have an intense longing to create, but rarely make time for it. The “tyranny of the urgent” seems to always take priority.

I’m treating this creative space as prayer time as I go through my journals from the past 18 months of the Ignatian Exercises and mining the gold ✨from this incredible journey with Jesus.

As I am reminded of the words spoken to me by God, the beautiful prayers that emerged and the vivid experiences I shared in prayer with the Holy One, I find my heart filled again with the blessings of it all.

I’m so thankful that Jesus wants to walk with us in intimate ways and to speak to us, if we would take time to listen.
To stop doing.
To be.

That’s hard, isn’t it?

I still struggle to still my heart, body and mind enough to listen.

Blessings, friends.

07/01/2025

06/24/2025

🙏 Starting this week with prayer and purpose.
Lord, give me strength to stay focused, grace to be present, a heart to serve, and courage to lead with love.

06/22/2025

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This.
That’s all I have this morning after the news of the bombing of Iran.

Last night at our end-of-year youth group party, I spent time talking to a mom from Iran 🇮🇷. She and her two teens are here in Canada while her husband continues his work in Tehran.
And she hasn’t heard from him for 5 days. I can’t imagine the stress she and her kids hold in their hearts.

Arrived home to the news.
My heart was devastated.
Anger flooded my body.

And today my only prayers are tears.

Christ, have mercy.
We know your Holy Spirit prays for us and with us when our words fail in the face of such evil in the world.