Pause to Reflect
Rejoice Always
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,
give thanks in all circumstances.
—1 Thessalonians 5.16-18
Seriously? Even with all the crud in the world?
Yes. In the rock-paper-scissors of life
joy cuts sorrow, crushes despair and swallows crud.
Grieve first… and joy comes with the morning.
These are hard days. But joy is bigger than these days.
Joy is not happiness with present circumstances,
but harmony with the goodness of God
and the overflowing of God’s delight in us.
Joy includes the universe,
and all its beauty and sorrow.
Joy dances with gratitude.
Joy plays with hope, which is trust in the unseen.
Joy sings with love, which is self-giving for another,
who is the self—a return to wholeness. What joy!
Yes, people are suffering, and others don’t care.
But some do. Rejoice!
You can rejoice during a pandemic.
You can give thanks at a funeral.
You can be joyful in prison.
You can lament suffering and injustice, and rejoice.
For joy is the healing of broken hearts,
the breaking of chains, the opening of graves,
the coming of God.
Christ does not come to make us happy,
but to stand with us in the pain of life
until joy like a seed rises.
All is swallowed up in joy.
~ Steve Garnaas-Holmes
(You can find this poem – and others – on Steve’s website Unfolding Light.)
January is not a race to become someone new.
It is an invitation to arrive where you already are.
Honor your journey without rushing the destination.
Choose just enough—enough effort, enough rest, enough faith.
Release harsh judgment and meet yourself with awareness instead of criticism.
Let discipline be joyful,
a quiet devotion rather than forced pressure.
Show up gently, consistently, and with care.
And above all, trust.
Even when you cannot see the full picture,
life is unfolding with intelligence and timing.
This January, don’t force growth.
Begin softly.
Align with what is already moving through you.
(from Buddha’s Teaching on Facebook)
Save the Date!!
Our next in-person retreat will be:
July 19-22, 2027
@Christ the King Passionist Retreat Center
Sacramento, CA
with leadership provided by
Marilyn McEntyre
January Zoom Event
Recalibration LIVE!
A Time of Community Gathering
January 31, 2026
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (Eastern)
12 noon – 2:00 pm (Central)
11:00 am – 1:00 pm (Mountain)
10:00 am – 12 noon (Pacific)
FREE
Join us as we gather for a time of centering, an invitation to reflect, and an opportunity to share in community.
Click here to register for Recalibration Live.
Upcoming Zooms in 2026
- March 14
Fr. Vincent Pizzuto
Near Death Experiences - May
Bill Campbell
Nature and Spirituality - July 11
Callie Swanlund - September 19
MJ Cole
Group Spiritual Direction - November
Khris Ford
Grief
Book Review
Star-Spangled Jesus:
Leaving Christian Nationalism and Finding a True Faith
by April Ajoy
Things changed for April Ajoy on January 6, 2021 as she watched the gathering at the Ellipse in Washington, DC and the subsequent attack on the capitol. She grew-up in a Christian family with a world-renowned Pentecostal evangelical father and where being a Republican was the only Christian option. April was homeschooled and travelled with her family as her father preached the gospel across the country and world. As a teen she appeared on The Jim Bakker Show, singing an original song, “America Say Jesus”. She attended Dallas Baptist University and in her 20’s worked for the Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network. She began to realize that she was steeped in Christian Nationalism as she watched the crowds at the capitol on January 6. She saw a sign that said, “JESUS IS MY SAVIOR, TRUMP IS MY PRESIDENT, JESUS SAVES, JESUS 2020” with a picture of Jesus with a MAGA hat on. She heard the crowd chanting, “Hang Mike Pence” and saw someone with a noose. And then she saw people she knew from youth group and her Dad’s church.
April Ajoy’s book, “Star-Spangled Jesus”, is part memoir and part guidebook. She recounts her life story of being raised in a conservative Christian home and her ultimate realization of the harm done by such conservative Christian beliefs and by Christian Nationalism. She discusses the three main tenets of Christian Nationalism: 1. America has been specially selected by God and has a special place in God’s plan for redemption; 2. Christianity is defined by their specific, conservative version; 3. Their idea of morality should be mandated on all citizens. April also reviews the history of Christian Nationalism from the Civil War era to Billy Graham, Phyllis Schlafly, James Dobson, Pat Robertson, and Jerry Falwell and some of the far-right groups of today. She also discusses the tactics used to draw people into the movement and to make them compliant. Some of those tactics include controlling the narrative through controlling the media and censuring any voice but their own (“FAKE NEWS”!), manipulating end times eschatology (rebuilding of Solomon’s Temple, etc.), eternal fear mongering (the dread of hell), and demonizing the enemy, among others.
If you are looking for a first-hand account of what it is like to be a part of the Christian Nationalist culture, this is the book for you. I had the privilege of hearing April speak at my church and found her to be engaging, warm-hearted, and passionate about exposing the dangers of Christian Nationalism. In my opinion, April Ajoy is a courageous young woman who uses her speaking, writing, and media skills to not only expose these dangers but to promote a more inclusive, welcoming, and affirming faith.
Review by Christine McHenry, MD, MATS, DHL
Board member, The Fellowship of United Methodist Spiritual Directors and Retreat Leaders
It’s a New Year….
How are you feeling?
What intentions have you set?
How are you engaging this opportunity?
What spiritual practices are you finding helpful?
Where are you investing your energy?
Lamentation 3:23-23
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Song: “Unwritten”
(Songwriters: Danielle A. Brisebois / Natasha Anne Bedingfield / Wayne Steven Jr Rodrigues)
I am unwritten
Can’t read my mind
I’m undefined
I’m just beginning
The pen’s in my hand
Ending unplanned
Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten
Oh, oh, oh
I break tradition
Sometimes my tries are outside the lines
We’ve been conditioned to not make mistakes
But I can’t live that way…..
These are a few of the lyrics. Click here for the full text and to hear the song.
Hearts On Fire Membership & Community
This organization is open to all who are interested in spiritual formation/spiritual direction/retreat leadership, regardless of denominational affiliation.
Enrichment/educational/networking/community zooms are being held at intervals throughout each year.
Additional resources including: daily prayer guide, book reviews, etc.
Please consider becoming a paid member if you are not already.
Have an event to share? Wondering what others are reading, or what practices they are finding helpful? Looking for a learning opportunity? Have questions about navigating the uncertainties of our times? Seeking support and encouragement? Want to discuss something with others?
Click here to check out our Facebook page to engage in the conversation and make connections with others.
Closing Words
Turning Within
(a poem by Deborah Anne Quibell)
Heart-centered being,
whatever you do,
don’t continue to give
when you are empty.
Know your boundaries.
Move into a soft corner
of your heart
and give yourself permission
to stop.
To say no.
Ask for what you need,
but understand
that there is a Source within you
that already knows.
All you have to do
is turn towards it.
~ from the book Soul Bird: Poems for Flying
