The journey...

Anam Cara, a place of renewal for clergy and their spouses, has been a dream of mine for years. Mark shares this dream with me and we see it as a mutual calling to minister to those who need a space to "listen for the heartbeat of God." I first heard the words Anam Cara, which is Gaelic for "soul friend", while reading J. Philip Newell's book Listening for the Heartbeat of God: a Celtic Spirituality and also Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom by John O' Donohue. I was struck by how seldom we take time to listen to God...to still ourselves until our heartbeat mirrors that of the Divine. I also have come to realize the importance of "soul friends" who will journey with us, tend our wounds, and give us the space we need to enter into the healing presence of our Triune God. This blog will be our journey to answering God's call to this ministry.

The journey began with our move to the beautiful rolling hills of north central Kentucky in January 2009 It took awhile for our property in southern Illinois to sell in an incredibly depressed market, but God's timing is perfect and we are now ready to begin our search for a "thin space", a place where heaven and earth seem to almost touch, that will become our home and the location of Anam Cara. Serious property shopping begins this weekend! Preliminary plans have been drawn up for our home with a walk-out basement that will serve as the initial retreat space with future plans for small cottages around the property, prayer trails, and a labyrinth.

Keep us in your prayers that we will be obedient to the purposes of Anam Cara as we shop, design and build. We will let you know when Anam Cara is ready for you, our "soul friends", to spend a bit of time in quiet retreat. May you all be blessed to be a blessing!