Spiritual Coach/Director
Trainer/Speaker
Writings
The writings you encounter here usually emerge out of my prayer, meditation or digestion of life. I believe God is always at the center of these writings and I try to get out of the way, so as to be the vehicle to share wisdom and insight. I try very hard to cooperate with the primary author, God, and humbly accept my role in the process. I pray these words comfort and inspire you as God intends.
Extremes We Share
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The ocean is a mystery. Its quiet majestic power is often times disguised.
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Instead it sends off a message of calm, serenity with the constant movement of its waves.
The ocean is a paradox of extremes which is brought about by its depth and currents.
I am a paradox of extremes brought about by my depth and currents as well.
One moment it may look as calm and serene as a lake or be the reassuring constant waves, and at other times it can roar with such a power that it impacts the lives of others.
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Some days I live my life in quiet contemplative waves. Reassured by the rhythm of my prayer and contemplation, and then there are days that the roar from my depths requires me to be as demonstrative as a hurricane, reminding us of God’s energy in ourselves and in nature.
It is the depth and power of the ocean that I understand as contemplation. How it is displayed in life is different – but the source of the movement, no matter how great or small are the same.
The ocean is one with itself; there is full and complete consumption – and this I seek!! To be at peace, being still in the greatest of the depth; THERE it is silence, waiting to let God take me to His depth – to accept, the peace, the silence, the darkness of the depth and KNOW it is the force that sustains me in the extremes of my work, my ministry, my call.
To not label the extremes, good or bad, for the ocean’s extremes remind us of its depth - so too, my extremes should remind me of the same.
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Kathleen McCauley
Sea Isle 11/5/2014
Solitude
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The person called to solitude is a rare soul.
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Identifying this hunger or need, in one’s soul is difficult.
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The hunger for solitude is sometimes disguised as restlessness -- -
taking us the wrong direction.
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The one who is called to solitude is purely content with their thoughts, prayers and presence with God.
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There is no fear of being with self or being alone; the relationship with God and self, fill the mind, heart and imagination.
There is a fine line between isolating and seeking solitude – but how does one know the difference?....by its fruits.
Isolating comes from not wanting to see or interact with others.
Solitude is a desire to be still and alone with oneself and one’s God.
Isolating is usually a reaction to something or someone. (Usually moving away from something.)
Solitude is an action to seek silence of mind, body and spirit (usually moving toward something).
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In seeking silence one must purify the motives and be able to more fully experience God’s voice and presence at that moment.
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While silence and solitude have lost their allure in today’s world, it is still there beckoning the hungry heart to shake off the noise of this world and be still in the richness of a soul in solitude.
Seek solitude and the soul will soar!!
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Kathy McCauley
April, 2013
Digesting Life
When I was a girl my parents threw lots of parties, and the morning after each one we would all sit around the kitchen table talking about the people, the stories and the food. In my early years, the day after was what I loved most about those parties. Years later when I was in graduate school, which refer to as my analytical years, I thought that “that day after processing” of my parents parties was so judgmental. But now that I am close to fifty, I see what that “processing” really was “digestion”.
“Digestion” of life events is perhaps one of the most neglected processes of our social life. To digest life is somewhat like food digestions. We need to savor it, the moment, the people, and the fragrance. We must have time to absorb all the nurturing that each experience has to offer.
Recently I was thinking about my daughters and realized that they both had experienced significant moments in their lives these past few weeks. One daughter took her First Holy Communion and the other one her Confirmation. I hardly remember the events because I was so focused on making sure everything was just right, that everyone was dressed properly and that they all arrived on time. These types of events are rites of passage, and if I miss these important moments, my girls will be grown up and on their own before I even know what happened in those years.
I have only come to see the value in taking the time to digest life since I have begun working full time, away from home, while trying to balance the needs of my family. As the weeks turn into months so many important events and experiences begin to blur together in my mind. Life is beading off me like rain on a good London Fog. It feels as if nothing is being absorbed into my heart. Most days, it seems that I am just going through the motions of living, trying desperately to find enough energy and orangization to start another week on the tread mill of life.
I recall an old wise tale as I reflect on this topic; not to swim right after eating, you must wait an hour for your food to digest. This advice always made sense when we were young and naïve, but it doesn’t appear to be accurate for swimming any long. Perhaps there is some wisdom to be discovered in this saying. If we could take an hour or a week or a day to digest life as it is coming at us, we might be able to savor the juices that would quench our thirst for more.
As much as I know the methods and means of “meditation” and prayer, that all seems to get lost inmy crowded schedule. I often wonder about the joys that I would discover if I were to take the time to sit and reflect on my life. Perhaps it could be as simple as taking a few moments to remember the big and the small events of each day or week. As I seek to understand the process of “digesting” life events, I will choose to allow myself the luxury of time to experience life in all of its wonder. And at the end of each day, my heart and soul will be nurtured and illed with god’s goodness, just as He plans for me to feel.
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Kathleen McCauley
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Digesting Life
Lord, there is pain and I want out!!
I call to you, but I know it is mine.
Emotional pain is so lucid – at other times mysterious.
Where are you in it? How can you help me? When will you help me?
I will ride the waves of joy and ecstasy and give you your due glory –
But in despair, what am I to do? Thank you or curse you?
It extracts all my energy and vision…how am I to serve you in this state?
You, hold and contain ALL!!!
You make all things holy and whole.
I know this to be true –
So I must blindly believe
That my shattered inner world can become whole- and holy- when abandoned to you.
Hold me then, until all that is within me is healed, whole and holy in your sight.
Amen.
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Kathy McCauley, October 2015