Spiritual Director Kimberly Crispeno

12/21/2020

I love working in charcoal, partly because of the simplicity of its tools, but also, I think, because it is messy but you can bring beauty out of the mess (like life, maybe)? And then there is the bit about playing with shadow and light. On this shortest, darkest day of rain deluge in the Pacific NW, in a year that has trended to the darker shades, I want to hold onto what I’ve learned in this medium. You need the tonal gradations to capture what you are trying to capture. The different shades bring the picture to life. So today, I invite you to join me in trying to embrace all the dark, all the grey shades, all the relief of the light. Perhaps as we do, we will be able to capture a moment in its beauty.

12/05/2020

This is powerful. So many aspects of my own work over the last years represented in this beautiful poem.

“How to Belong Be Alone” by Pádraig Ó Tuama is part of our “Poetry Films” series, which features animated interpretations of beloved poems from our archive. ...

12/02/2020

I’ve been thinking about the tenacity, resilience and power of even a smidgen of hope. I’ve lived through two intense periods where two beloved family members struggled with deep depression and those of us around them battled to keep them alive. Ultimately I knew I could not keep them alive—only one thing could: hope. O’Tuama’s prayer—“In all of our nights, turn us towards hope, because hope just might keep us alive”—resonates deep within me. It is a prayer I fumbled myself to in desperation. It is a prayer we can pray for ourselves—for others.

Let us pray...

11/30/2020

As I light the Advent candle of hope, I did not expect the level of sorrow that surfaces. There is no doubt it has been a hard and unexpected year on so many levels for so many of us. But this last week, I experienced another level of sad—perhaps because I did not expect it in this place and in this way. But it hit hard. It reminded me that healing happens in layers and is often slowe than we hope for. May this dark season of longing yield flickers of hope that what we now see and experience is not the end of the story. There is more to come. There is goodness and beauty, even now, as we wait...and hope. Grace, peace and hope to you as you wait.

09/18/2020

If you are struggling with the present, the “here,” you aren’t alone. I’d love to connect with you. I am working on my website to make scheduling easier (www.kimberlycrispeno.com) but for now, text me at 425-308-4099 for an in-person or online/audio appt. we can do hard things. Peace and beauty to you amidst all you are carrying.

05/06/2020

“We usually think about where we’re going instead of listening for where life is taking us” (Mark Nepo). I spend a lot of time listening to life in the garden or with fresh bouquets and candles in sight. I would love to listen to your life. If you are ready to give spiritual direction a try, please message me. First time is always free.

04/01/2020

We are "living in times where it is required of us to have a spiritual foundation, an anchor, a sense of alignment, and if we don't have that foundation, we will be flailing," says speaker and author Gabby Bernstein. Attached is a post about spiritual direction, which is something I do. Perhaps this is the time for you to try spiritual direction? I would love to meet (virtually) with you. The first session is always free to see if it is a good fit. For those financially insecure because of what is going on right now, I am offering sessions free of charge. I am also happy to refer to a number of wonderful spiritual directors or organizations that I have worked with or know.

03/12/2020

For all of us, but particularly for those of you in leadership/decision-making spaces, this is for you:

02/18/2020

I’ve been blogging about my son’s coming out story. The latest is linked and you can find the previous three installments at the site.

As we mine our lives for what they are saying, surprising stuff can come up. Hang in there. We lose and find things along the way.

I remember driving the 30 miles from Lakeside to Polson in Montana with my grandfather at the wheel, my grandmother in the passenger seat. I was in the backseat, singing. I sang the whole way. I must have been on my way home from an overnight with them where grandma and I giggled in the guest bed an...

11/05/2019

I am accepting new people! I would love to meet with you to see if spiritual direction and spiritual direction with me, specifically, is a good fit for you!

11/01/2018

It seems fitting to share my post on my uncle, Eugene Peterson, on this All Saint’s Day.

Many first came to know Eugene Hoiland Peterson through The Message, his translation of the Bible from the original languages (see the final chapter in Eat This Book for a fuller explanation of this work). I came to know him as Uncle Gene. That has always been his most vital role for me.

10/30/2018

What are you doing today? I am, in the face of fear and discouragement, recommitting to the invitation in Rumi’s words, “Let the beauty we love be what we do.”