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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BlogNicole 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. Let me put it this way, 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 Truth. It was costly but beautiful. BY GRACE, she discovered the free gift of God and the assurance of salvation. I couldn’t put this book down.

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Blog, Book ReviewNicole O'Mearablog, grace, Spiritual FormationComment
Five Questions for Rare and Chronic Diseases Fighters
Five Questions for Rare and Chronic Diseases 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.  

Where will you put your energy in 2020? Here are five questions specifically for those of us fighting rare, undiagnosed and chronic diseases.  Let’s face it, life is different for us. How we spend our valuable and limited energy is very much tied to the unique characteristics of our diseases.  So, let’s ask ourselves these five questions (based on Donald Whitney's 10 Questions).

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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

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed that I read from A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie during my time of solitude last week.  These prayers effectively speak to my soul which means… it’s time for a Book Review. Actually, it’s time for TWO Book Reviews.  I decided to share the other book I often grab during my times of prayer, Daily Light. 

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