Journeying Together

Journeying Together Spiritual Direction for Fellow Seekers, Pilgrims, and Adventurers You matter to God. And your story matters to God. Welcome! I’m an LGBTQIA+ ally.

My name is Annabelle and I am an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and a certified spiritual director serving in Sterling, VA. I offer spiritual direction, icon writing/painting classes, and occasional retreats and pilgrimages. I did not grow up in the church and discovered God, faith, and my vocations as I went along through life. A passionate traveler and life-long le

arner, I believe life is a journey – a pilgrimage in which we are always seeking the holy in our midst, in ourselves, and in each other. Curiosity, asking questions, creativity, reflection, and living with awe, wonder, gratitude, joy, and laughter are at the core of how I try to move through life. The story of Jesus meeting two disciples on the road to Emmaus, making himself known in conversing, walking, and breaking bread with them is a powerful example of how we encounter God in our everyday journeying. My experiences walking the 500-mile Camino Frances from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela continue bringing this home to me in an embodied and powerful way. In spiritual direction/companionship, I am a fellow traveler, listening attentively and deeply to your story, watching and pointing to God's accompanying presence along the way. I am a 2017 graduate of the Shalem Institute's "Going Deeper: Clergy Spiritual Life and Leadership" Program. Contemplative spirituality has had a profound effect on my life and how I understand we are always works in progress. Similarly, the practice of writing icons has helped me slow down, breathe deeply, acknowledge and trust in the process, and appreciate that we learn and grow one brushstroke at a time. In 2022, I graduated from the two-year Oasis Ministries for Spiritual Development "Spiritual Direction for Spiritual Guides" Program. My specialty areas include using different prayer practices including iconography and the creative arts and offering direction for religious leaders, young adults, the elderly/mature, interfaith folks, and seekers. I also offer Walk & Talk sessions – spiritual direction on the go (https://journeying-together.com/walk-talk/)! On a lighter note, I love tacos, dogs, walking/hiking, spending time in nature, traveling, singing, knitting, writing icons, and learning languages. I am married to wonderful fellow named Jeff and I look forward to meeting you and hearing your unfolding story!

*Journeying Together is located on the original and ancestral homelands of the Piscataway and Manahoac peoples, and we give thanks for their presence here since time immemorial. We also wish to recognize and honor all our Indigenous siblings who have and continue to call this land their home.*

A fierce blessing for you this weekend!
08/23/2026

A fierce blessing for you this weekend!

For you—for us—this day. This blessing was inspired by the women we meet in the opening chapters of the Book of Exodus. The choices they make amid the currents of death, fear, and hatred call me to ask—What am I being called to be fierce about in this world?

FIERCE BLESSING

Believe me when I say
there is nothing
this blessing would not do
to protect you,
to save you,
to encompass you.

This blessing
would stand between you
and every danger,
every evil,
every harm
and hurt.

This blessing
would dare
to wade with you
into the waters that come
offering life.

It would make
a way for you
through the waters that come
threatening death.

I cannot explain
how fierce
this blessing feels
about you,
but I can tell you
it has more than pledged
itself to you;
it would lay down
its life for you
and not once
look back in regret
nor go in sorrow
for what it has chosen
to give.

And you—
so deeply blessed,
so utterly encompassed—
what will you save
in turn?

Not because
it is owed,
but because
you cannot imagine
failing to pass along
this grace
that casts its circle
so wide,
this love
that flows
so deep
through this perilous
and precious life.

—Jan Richardson
from The Cure for Sorrow: A Book of Blessings for Times of Grief
janrichardson.com/books

Image: "Streams of Mercy"
© Jan Richardson
janrichardsonimages.com

A gentle reminder as we begin this week and head into the commonly over-scheduled autumn.
08/17/2026

A gentle reminder as we begin this week and head into the commonly over-scheduled autumn.

How are you practicing wellness these days?
08/14/2026

How are you practicing wellness these days?

If only I could rewrite the dictionary...

A blessing as we begin August 🍦☀️
08/02/2026

A blessing as we begin August 🍦☀️

It's August. Don't let the life you're bracing for keep you from the life you're living in a world where Everything Happens.

How has your relationship evolved or changed since someone’s death? It’s a hard and holy question to hold.
07/29/2026

How has your relationship evolved or changed since someone’s death? It’s a hard and holy question to hold.

Oh Mom

It was on your birth-
day, eleven years after
you died.

I sank into the torque
that was your life, and
how hard it was to
know you.

I remembered the
photo my brother
found of you before
we were born.

There was a light in
your eyes that I never
knew. It made me
ache and soften.

And in that opening,
you rushed in from
the other side.

And from the depth
of what was your heart
to the depth of mine,

I felt you say beneath
all words, “I never
meant to hurt you.”

A Question to Walk With: In conversation with a trusted friend or loved one, have each of you describe the relationship you have with someone you cared about who has died, and how your relationship has evolved since their death.

This excerpt is from my book of poems in progress, The Sacrament at the Center of Time.

So much honesty and vulnerability in that verse! Here’s to daily getting to understand ourselves a little better in ligh...
07/14/2026

So much honesty and vulnerability in that verse! Here’s to daily getting to understand ourselves a little better in light of God’s unfailing mercy.

"“I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15). Give thanks and praise to God for the boundless love, forgiveness and patience that enfold us just as we are — complex and wonderful children of God who nevertheless are often weak, broken and undisciplined." —Prayer Ventures

For full schedules and space to breathe and be!
07/09/2026

For full schedules and space to breathe and be!

Address

Sterling, VA

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 7pm
Tuesday 9am - 7pm
Wednesday 9am - 7pm
Thursday 9am - 7pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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