Belly of the Whale Spiritual Direction & Retreat Ministries

Belly of the Whale Spiritual Direction & Retreat Ministries Nurturing spiritual vitality in everyday living through Spiritual Direction, Retreat Leadership and Creative Ways to Pray.

05/18/2026

"The soul is the same in all living creatures,
although the body of each is different."
~Hippocrates



Artist: Lucy Campbell, UK
Source: A Celebration of Female Artists in History
Charter for Compassion

05/17/2026

A minute of silence from yesterday’s hike… may it be peace for your weary soul…

Check out the May edition of Whale Spouts!  (Spoiler alert - it includes some fun haiku prayers.)  :-) https://conta.cc/...
05/14/2026

Check out the May edition of Whale Spouts! (Spoiler alert - it includes some fun haiku prayers.) :-)
https://conta.cc/3PotZ7Al

Email from Belly of the Whale Spiritual Direction & Retreat Ministries Whale Spouts Belly of the Whale Spiritual Direction & Retreat Ministries monthly newsletter May 2026 May 7, 2026 Dearest Friends,

I couldn't agree more!!
05/06/2026

I couldn't agree more!!

Pondering Mr. Rogers

I do wonder sometimes what Mr. Rogers would have to say in these troubled times. I’m sure it would be helpful and most likely grounded in doable, human size and yet transcendent love. I’m pretty sure he would have something to say about the impact of the language we use, and the importance of acknowledging our own feelings and the feelings of others. I think he’d be a fiercely loving advocate for how children are faring in this uncertain world and call on all of us to care for the most vulnerable. Maybe he’d speak to the harmfulness (and perhaps spiritual bereftness) of intentional lying and bullying. I imagine he would say that we each contain an inner light wisdom within us, and it is safe to listen to our hearts and lean into our better selves —and that kindness and love will not lead us astray.

Really people, Mr Rogers had it going on—he knew that nurturing children and engaging in good neighborliness wasn’t just a nice idea, it was foundational thinking and I believe very good theology.

I don’t know how to change the whole world, but I do know I can have tremendous impact in how I choose to live my daily life, in how I choose to be in relationship with my neighbors. In these uncertain times, I don’t know how to fix all the things that are broken. But I do know how to mend a tear, reweave a frayed edge, and be a good and generally kind neighbor.

So this week, let us all tap into our own “inner Mr. Rogers”. Let us listen to our hearts and lean into what is stronger, softer and kinder. Let’s start from there.

05/05/2026

A minute of silence from the Camino de Santiago...

I got back a few weeks ago from co-leading a retreat with the incredible Flores Del Camino retreat centre in northern Spain. I am still processing the immense beauty of this sacred experience and have plenty of stories and pics to share, but thought I would start off with a minute of shared sacred silence.

Funny fact... at the end of the video another pilgrim turned the corner and was about to get to where I was recording. I'm not very good at quickly pivoting, so you can see me get flustered and rush the ending of our minute together! Sorry about that! I figure you can enjoy the beauty of that sacred space and time even if it ends clumsily! Ha! Grateful for your grace!

What a tremendous joy it was to lead the Quiet Day of Spiritual Creativity Retreat today with the wonderful Suzanne Hals...
05/03/2026

What a tremendous joy it was to lead the Quiet Day of Spiritual Creativity Retreat today with the wonderful Suzanne Halstead. We shared 9 creative prayer centers based on the 9 fruit of the Spirit. It was just the day I needed - lots of refreshing quiet, creative expression, sacred community, and a feeling of deep gratitude….

What a tremendous joy it was to lead the Quiet Day of Spiritual Creativity Retreat today with the wonderful Suzanne Hals...
05/03/2026

What a tremendous joy it was to lead the Quiet Day of Spiritual Creativity Retreat today with the wonderful Suzanne Halstead. We shared 9 creative prayer centers based on the 9 fruit of the Spirit. It was just the day I needed - lots of refreshing quiet, creative expression, sacred community, and a feeling of deep gratitude…

I am delighted to share the beautiful cover for my new book Praying with Jonah: Practices for Imperfect Pilgrims...The p...
04/27/2026

I am delighted to share the beautiful cover for my new book Praying with Jonah: Practices for Imperfect Pilgrims...

The purple hues remind me to nurture a faith that is both quietly contemplative blue and courageously active red. The soft light reflects God’s Presence shining within us all. And the whale’s tail draws me into a deeper dive with Jonah - exploring what it means to be still enough to know and bold enough to go wherever God is calling.

Thank you - I love it so much!!

It is available for pre-order now from wherever you normally purchase your books! :-)

I am delighted to share the beautiful cover for my new book Praying with Jonah: Practices for Imperfect Pilgrims...The p...
04/27/2026

I am delighted to share the beautiful cover for my new book Praying with Jonah: Practices for Imperfect Pilgrims...

The purple hues remind me to nurture a faith that is both quietly contemplative blue and courageously active red. The soft light reflects God's Presence shining within us all. And the whale's tail draws me into a deeper dive with Jonah - exploring what it means to be still enough to know and bold enough to go wherever God is calling.

Thank you Upper Room Books - I love it so much!!

It is available for pre-order now from wherever you normally purchase your books! :-)

Address

Cleveland, OH

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