Let's connect in 2020!
Scene from our new guest room featuring artwork by Phaedra Jean Taylor.
Happy New Year, friends!
I hope you’ve been able to find moments of rest, comfort, and joy this Christmastide. G.K. Chesterton famously loved Christmas, calling it - in one of the countless references to Christmas - the “great festival of home”. We’ve leaned into that description hardcore this year. Partly because we’ve been sick, partly because we love our new rental house so much, and partly because 2019 wore us out. It’s been good to wake up several days in a row with no required place to be or appointments to keep. We’ve napped, read, laughed at comedy specials and ridiculous cartoons, played games, and feasted on all our favorite Christmas foods.
I’ve also been thinking about you. Yes, you - the person reading this post. I don’t know exactly who you are, but I’ve got some pretty good guesses. I’m guessing you’ve followed my blog for a while because you care deeply about your relationship with God and other people and you appreciate encouragement along the way. You probably appreciate words and beauty and enjoy a well-timed invitation to think about your faith or relationships in a new way. You may also be navigating a healing journey of some kind and need to hear stories about others who’ve walked a similar journey and can offer hope to not give up on the possibility of wholeness in this lifetime.
You are the one I’m thinking about this week. See that print by my friend Phaedra Jean Taylor hanging on the wall of my guest room? It’s called “Heart Sleeves” which is a bit how I feel right now sharing my hopes for 2020. I’ve been pondering ways to connect with you more intentionally this year and sharing the invitations with you feels risky. Can you relate?
Here are a few places I’ve been spending time getting to know many of you better in 2019
Instagram! Have you visited me at a_sacramental_life yet? Several times a week, I’ll add a note or two in my Stories highlighting a meaningful prayer, Scripture, or thing of beauty I can’t wait for a blog post to share. Occasionally I offer a live Story to talk about the liturgical season or a spiritual practice I’m learning. This is a wonderful place to exchange brief comments and to hear about what’s capturing your imagination. If I haven’t followed you back yet, send me a quick message to invite me!
Join me on Instagram!
My new Patreon page is providing a wonderful new place to connect. I’ve been spending time with a couple dozen of you for the past couple of months and it’s helped me better understand who you are and what you find most encouraging.
Currently, there are 25 of you in the Sacramental Life community and I’m excited about what we’ll be able to do together in 2020! We’re halfway to our goal of 50 patrons which will allow me to release an eBook into the world! While I have some idea of what I’ll publish first, I’ll be relying on the community’s input to make that decision.
We’re a quarter of the way to reaching our goal of gathering in person for a spiritual retreat! If gathering in New England for a couple of days for silence, rest, and prayer sounds like something you need, join our community and invite your friends.
Join us on Patreon
One-on-One Spiritual Direction is one of my favorite ways to connect with others wanting to grow closer to God. As you’ve looked ahead at the new year, are you hoping to grow in prayer or another devotional practice? Maybe you’re facing a change in your season of life and you need help discerning which direction to go? Maybe you’re feeling disconnected from God and haven’t heard anything in prayer for a long time? Any of these reasons (and others) are a good indicator that a relationship with a Spiritual Director could be helpful for you right now. I’d love to connect with you about that possibility and explore whether I’d be a good fit for what you need. Fill out the Contact Form at the bottom of this page (or just shoot me an email!) to set up a time to talk further.
Group Spiritual Direction is my jam! If some or all of what I’ve written about one-on-one spiritual direction above is true for you and 2-3 of your friends, let’s talk about the possibility of meeting (in person or in a video call) as a group. Fill out the Contact Form at the bottom of this page or shoot me an email to set up a time to talk further.
Walk with me in Spiritual Direction
What else? Is there a way to encourage you that you’d like me to consider? Maybe your church or friend group needs a speaker for an upcoming event? Maybe there’s some other wonderful way I can come alongside you as you navigate the complexities of living with hope, faith, and love in an often dark and frenzied world? Share your ideas with me in the comments below or send me an email. I’m all ears!
If you find yourself in a season of life where an occasional blog post from me is all the encouragement you need, I’m so glad to check in with here you once in a while. I’ll continue to post on (most) Saturdays a Weekend Top 10 list of links and publishing updates. (If you’d like to receive those posts by email, you can subscribe in the box in the sidebar.). In addition, once a month or so I’ll share what I’ve been reading and learning with you here on the blog. Whatever level of connection is best for you, I’m so honored to be part of your life.
May the peace of the Lord be with you and yours in 2020!
With my heart on my sleeve,
Tamara
p.s., It’d mean so much to me if you shared my work with your friends! Here are the quick links to pass along to friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, and church community:
A Sacramental Life on Patreon
a_sacramental_life on Instagram
One-on-One (or Group) Spiritual Direction page or fill out the form below