School of Spiritual Direction - "take home" ponderings

These quotes are some that I wrote down last week while at the School of Spiritual Direction. They have become “take home” ponderings.


Many of these quotes will have names beside them – those without – were things I wrote down as Dr. Crabb shared with us!! These are “take home” thoughts that I have and will continue to ponder!! O Lord – grow me to be more like you…. That is my prayer. Here they are - just written down - no explanation - feel free to respond via comment!

“The examined life is hard to live!”
(think this was a Dr. Crabb quote that I wrote down)

Spiritual Direction – create space for God “to do”

“Root of all sin – is the suspicion that God isn’t good”
Oswald Chambers

Our ‘spirit of entitlement’ destroys our ‘spirit of gratitude!’

Question: does spiritual formation have more to do with the power to persevere than the power to experience his presence?

“He’ll not allow anything to happen that won’t be used to His good.”
Dr. Crabb

“I’m staking my life on the belief that God loves me!!”
(oops, can’t remember who said this )

“Put first things (God) first and second things are thrown in.
Put second things first and first and second things are lost.”
C.S. Lewis

“There’s something more than trying to make things happen…”
Lisa M. (students together in Colorado)

How does the Lord do the work of transforming us?
To become a “little Christ” requires a transformation much bigger than what we see in the mirror.


“Don’t be a ‘chess player’ – become a poet and flow with the music of heaven.”


“The Spirit wants to have us dance the dance with the Trinity!”

HOPE deepens our sense of faith!!

Justification is as important today as when I came to Christ! Our Master desires we live in repentance on a daily basis.

Eugene Peterson said, in regards to Spiritual Direction that it is “Discerning what the Spirit is doing and tagging along!”

“Everybody’s life is a story as opposed to a diagnosis.”
Dr. Yuem

“If you learn to hang out with Jesus – you catch the good infection.”
C.S.Lewis

“When I get into the pain of your story – we want to know how to do more than become overwhelmed.

“Why is it when you come to God at your hour of greatest need – it seems like God’s not there and the door is locked and double locked?”
C.S. Lewis

“The prayers offered in a state of dryness are those which please him best.”
“Maybe God’s doing his deepest work when he’s most absent.”
C.S. Lewis

“You never know how much you believe in the strength of a rope until you’re hanging on it over a cliff.” C.S. Lewis

(on trusting God – He IS there!!)

How easy it is to see beauty in creation, but harder to see beauty in people!

“When you’re in the presence of God – it’s never right to demand anything.
Francis Schaffer

“What is the value of Calvary in our lives today?”

My identity – I am a Christian who is loved by GOD…. Yesssss!


God provides healing – which is tied to repentance – of whatever gets in the way. Repenting has to start with me!
When broken meet broken – there is JOY

“If you live for silence and solitude – try community.
If you live for community – try silence and solitude.”
Bohnhoffer

Community becomes opportunity for discernment and times for good conversations that aren’t always “fun”. Sometimes church is only “fun”.

“Prayer joins us in the momentum of what God’s doing in this world.”
P.T. Forsythe (hope I got the name right)

“What I have to give – accomplishes nothing apart from HIM!”


“I’ve got a flesh pretty darn active – BUT the Spirit within me is even more active.”

“It is IMPORTANT to spend hours and hours in the Word.”

“This BROKENNESS > REPENTENCE> RELEASE – is a life style!!”

“Real church – is a continual flow: It is about spiritual theology! (There is a WHOLE story – God beginning to end, with us as part of the story). It is about Spiritual Formation: is he/she/me changing to become more like Jesus? It is recognizing that Spiritual formation happens in Spiritual Community!! Is there authenticity? It is about Spiritual Mission – Are we reaching out to others in the energy of Christ? Revealing the love of God to the poor so they can get to know Christ? Real church is about a Story!! A “transcended drama!!”

"At the center of ministry – it has to be GOD – knowing Him better will overflow into ministry!!"


posted on Friday, October 23