Posts tagged Spiritual Formation
Soul Care From Your Child’s Bookshelf
Soul Care From Your Child’s Bookshelf

Have you ever re-read a favorite story from your childhood and thought, “Woah, were these messages in there the whole time?”

Something happens when we read children’s stories. Our hearts are open to messages of love and fear, struggles and redemption in ways that we would never grasp in a Sunday sermon.

Yes, they are great for my children, but hold on, they are good for me too!

Through a story written for children, my heart received the tender care it needed from my loving Father. His message of unconditional love got in. It cemented itself in my heart forever. It is part of me now.

That’s the power of children’s stories as soul care.

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Blog, Book ReviewNicole O'Mearabook review, Soul Care, Spiritual Formation, spiritual disciplinesComment
Book Review: Out of Zion
Book Review: Out of Zion

Lisa grew up in a loving family in Utah, a sixth generation Mormon. She was so immersed in the Mormon culture, she didn’t even know what a protestant church service looked like.

Then, she met a guy… and the guy was a Christian… and he asked her questions like, “How do you know your scripture is the one true scripture?” She answered what she was taught and what she believed, “Because I’ve had a burning in the bosom.” That’s the truth test in Mormonism — a warm fuzzy feeling, proof of the Holy Spirit’s touch. Without that, you can’t know if something is true. With it, something must be true despite facts and logic. The answer didn’t satisfy her boyfriend and suddenly, it didn’t satisfy her either.

Out of Zion is Lisa’s personal story of finding the Jesus of the Bible. I couldn’t put this book down.

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Blog, Book ReviewNicole O'Mearablog, grace, Spiritual FormationComment
Five New Year's Questions for Rare Disease and Chronic Illness Fighters
Five New Year's Questions for Rare Disease and Chronic Illness Fighters

As a survivor/fighter of an undiagnosed disease, making New Year’s resolutions raises apprehension in my soul.  To make a resolution feels risky.  Any goal taken seriously enough to write down in ink is just another thing that I may have to grieve later.  But flipping the perspective from goal-setting to goal-contemplating… well, that I can do.  

Here are five questions (based on Donald Whitney's 10 Questions) to ask in the new year, specifically for those fighting rare, undiagnosed, and chronic diseases.

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BlogNicole O'MearaSpiritual Formation, rare disease, undiagnosedComment
Book Reviews: A Diary of Private Prayer and Daily Light
Book Reviews: A Diary of Private Prayer and Daily Light

A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie

In this book, you will find a morning prayer and an evening prayer for every day of the month.  In other words, two prayers each day for 31 days.  There is also a special prayer for Sundays.   These prayers, rooted in scripture, were written in the first person, making them an easy prompt for your own prayers. They are a perfect way to begin and end your daily time of solitude.

Daily Light - compiled by Samuel Bagster

On each page of this book you will find a selection of only verses or phrases of verses for each morning and evening of an entire year.  The verses and phrases of verses are specifically chosen on a theme.  Sometimes, the connections are obvious, such as being on the theme of grace or resurrection.  Sometimes, the connections are more hidden and there is a bit of fun in deducing them.  I particularly enjoy this book in the evening, reading it just before going to bed, directing my final thoughts on scripture alone.

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Book Review, BlogNicole O'Mearabook review, Spiritual Formation, spiritual disciplines, DevotionalComment