Collaboration: I trust in the abundance of creation to provide all that is needed, so that individuals and groups can collaborate instead of compete. I strive to engage others in full participation and lead in such a way that builds leadership in others. Collaboration comes in many forms. The usual way that I think of […]
Meditations on the Mid-Year Retreat
Co-creation: I hear a voice of truth above the clamor of the dominant culture, a voice that asks me to question my culture’s assumptions and beliefs. As a servant leader, I align my life with this truth and engage with others to be co-creative instruments of justice and peace. The mid-year retreat was revitalizing for […]
A Vision (Board) for the New Year
Before the holiday break, my cohort and I were invited by JSC staff to create a vision board detailing our intentions for the new year. This activity unexpectedly became a delightfully meditative experience in which I allowed my heart to guide me to those things for which it had been longing. As I put together […]
Coming Home from the Holidays
As I’m moving further into this year, I realize just how much I am learning about the people in my house, and how much more comfortable it is becoming. I am understanding my housemate’s moods better, noticing how they are feeling, and I in return am feeling more relaxed and comfortable around them. I feel […]
Who’s Expectations?
One of the main reasons I applied to the Johnson Service Corps was because I realized that I was playing along with other people’s expectations. At the time I did not fully recognize it to be God’s voice that was asking me to question the values, beliefs, and practices of my culture. I had an […]
The Importance of Communion
For only a short amount of time with the Johnson Service Corps, I have learned more about the importance of communion. I’ve shared intimate thoughts and feelings about my personal hardships that has helped me think of a centering practice for my own spiritual beliefs. I am calmer now because those thoughts or feelings that […]
Trust the Process
As the year comes to a close, I find myself really focusing on being and staying connected to my calling. When I first got here, that was my question and goal to focus on. I needed to discern and spiritually connect with God to find out what he was exactly calling me to do be […]
Good Things Happen
I have often felt that if I don’t do something to make a change then it will never happen. There are so many injustices in the world that don’t seem to be going anywhere so it must be up to me to set them straight, right? The beauty of co-creation is that it isn’t just […]
Powerlessness and Solidarity
This past month I’ve been thinking about what it means to stand with people, to help them, and how those relate. Often, I feel powerless to help, whether that be my own uncertainty coming through or that there isn’t anything I can do to change the person’s situation. In these moments, I struggle to go […]
Compassion, What’s Really at the Heart of It
Compassion partially means that “I confess my own humanity and acknowledge the heart connection I have with all who share the human condition.” It has been interesting to both experience how this value permeates all aspects of the JSC year and watch as my understanding of heart-connection acknowledgment evolves. When we first entered the program, […]