Spiritual Direction in Recovery

Below is a site you may find very interesting especially if you, or someone you know, is in recovery for addictions of any sort. Teresa Blythe has a wonderful post on its benefit and how spiritual direction is helpful for individuals in recovery.  

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/spiritualdirection101/2016/03/spiritual-direction-and-the-person-in-recovery/


If you wish to make an appointment for spiritual direction with me, call 920 793.3530. I am able to offer appointments in either Two Rivers or Crivitz, WI. I can also be emailed me at: Molly@MollyLaFond.com

The Retiree

http://teresablythe.net/2016/03/07/spiritual-direction-and-the-retiree/

With a population that is dancing into retirement more and more these days this site may be of interest to you related to spiritual direction. Teresa is the director of the Hesychia School of Spiritual Direction in Tucson where I got my training and certificate.  She is a wonderful blogger and I find her posts very interesting. I hope you will too!


If you are interested in doing spiritual direction with Molly LaFond, call 920.793.3530 or see: MollyLaFond.com for more information. 

Clay Balls

       

A man was exploring caves by the Seashore.  In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls.  It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake.   They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him.  As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could.  He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open on a rock .  Inside was a beautiful, precious stone! 

Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls.  Each contained a similar treasure.  He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left. Then it struck him.  He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves.  Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away!  

It's like that with people.  We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel.  It doesn't look like much from the outside.  It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it.  

We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy.  But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person. 

There is a treasure in each and every one of us.  If we take the time to get to know that person, and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth.

May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a fortune in friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay. May we see the people in our world as God sees them.

I am so blessed by the gems of friendship I have with you.  Thank you for looking beyond my clay vessel.  APPRECIATE EVERY SINGLE THING YOU HAVE, ESPECIALLY YOUR FRIENDS! LIFE IS TOO SHORT AND FRIENDS ARE TOO FEW!     (Author Unknown)

5 Tips

A Visit

Over Easter my sister and I had a most wonderful visit with two teachers we had in high school.  When they asked, "how long has it been?" it amazed me that nearly fifty years could pass and yet it seemed like yesterday! What a grand time catching up! 

These teachers were Dominican sisters from the Dominican Sisters of Peace which used to  be St. Mary of the Springs, Columbus, Ohio. Memories flooded my mind over many things related to this religious order, the college and the impact the Dominicans have had on me through my school years. 

I was thrilled to renew this connection and all it took was a desire, a phone call and some time to have a great visit over a great lunch. I came away marveling at how our connections in life can begin in the most common and ordinary way, with no thoughts of what might occur fifty years down the road. My memories warmed the cockles of my heart with this visit.  I know not all memories are positive but it calls me to pause and ponder: "what kind of memories are being made right now with those I come in contact with?" 

I wonder how many these two sisters taught over the years of their teaching careers?  I can't imagine.  And I bet neither one ever figured for a second that two of "their kids" would be visiting and sharing lunch with them fifty years later!  Ever wonder who might come back to visit you because of the influence on them a half a century ago?  An amazing thought if you ask me!  

Windows to the Soul

My cousin, Greg, shared with me tonight a tidbit he heard from Prairie Home Companion that reminded him of me.  It had to do with a line from PHC when Pastor Liz saw a reflection in a parishioner's glasses.This brought me back to a visit I had with dear friends this past week.

My friend's sister in law rescues cats and has many in her home, many with special needs. When I visited there this week I looked at one of her "children" and could see in his eyes that he did not feel well. It was such a sad reality that she would soon be losing her 4th one in as many months. As we texted today, her dear one is not eating much and isolating. 

We often hear that the eyes are the window to the soul. Think of an opposite view for a moment: there are times when we do not allow ourselves to see an issue, times when we deny the reality of what is happening right in front of us.  This can happen when a person is in an active addiction or in an abusive relationship, thinking there is no way out. 

Yes, eyes are the window to our soul but more than that it begs a question of bigger issues around us that we fail to see, are blind to or don't want to see? There are plenty out there both personal and global: poverty, loneliness, our addictions, our negativity...take your pick. Our glasses may make a reflection but what are we really willing to see with our glasses on?


If you are interested in doing spiritual direction with Molly LaFond, she can be reached at 920. 793.3530 or see: mollylafond.com

Y Bridge

Yes, the Y Bridge of Zanesville, Ohio, my home town where when we give directions and say, "Go to the middle of the bridge and turn right (or left)" we are not telling them to jump in the river!! This bridge is the area where two rivers converge and then flow into the Ohio River: the Licking and Muskingum, and connects three areas of town: Putnam, Linden and Downtown. 

It is amazing how different each river as well as each area of the city is. The differences make Zanesville the city that it is and tell a story very special to the area. Also,having a famous bridge brings unique stories. Zanesville is also birthplace of Zane Grey (1872), the famous author and greatest storyteller of the American West. These are details I never gave great thought to when I was younger.  

Each one of us has a story we can tell, with a variety of chapters to it. Some days we may not want to tell much about our story, however, each story can be such a special way to bridge various aspects of ourselves; this may make a wonderful tapestry of sharing; our own stories may even give someone strength and hope along their own journey. The 12 Step Programs are good examples of sharing stories which offers the next sufferer helpful options for living. 

We all have a "Y Bridge" in our life of some sort. What are those "bridges" in our own lives that bring us to different parts of a relationship...a relationship with others, God or ourselves? Perhaps it is our personal struggles, maybe our family situations, religious or political beliefs. It could be lots of things.

Zanesville's Y Bridge has been a very positive landmark in this Appalachian area. Each one of us can be a very positive influence on another.  Are there stories in your own life that could offer encouragement to another? We never know when a kind word might assist a person in finding his or her direction in turning left or right, rather than jumping into the river!  Each one of us does matter!


If you are interested in doing spiritual direction with Molly LaFond, she is available by appointment in either Two Rivers or Crivitz, WI.  by calling 920.793.3530 or see: mollylafond.com

Time Flies

We've all heard the phrase, "Where does time fly?" And I believe the older we get we become more and more aware of our days going by faster yet.  Of course, the older we get we may notice more and more family and friends dying, leaving holes in our hearts. 

Don't know about you but have you found yourself trying to "hang on" to those you love in ways that you never gave second thought to in earlier years?  I say "hanging on" in a way that actually is a positive. Maybe the older we get brings a wiser and more compassionate heart that prompts us to take actions we might have overlooked in years past. 

Maybe it is a deepening of our spiritual life that encourages us to go out of ourselves by making a phone call to someone who had surgery, sending a "thinking of you" card for encouragement or attending a funeral for support.  Even staying for the luncheon is more than just a meal; it really is a show of support to family and friends as to what the deceased meant to us. 

Yes, time flies faster and faster and with it go friends and relationships of those we love.  What better way to do what we can about it than to let those friends know how much they mean to us, as well as their families. As the saying goes, "time flies but we are the pilot."