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One of my ongoing endeavors is that of trying to establish a balance between travel for conferences, retreats, etc. and being at home so I can have more time to write. At the same time I consistently seek ways that I can be in touch with my readers and those seeking spiritual nourishment. I am happy to report that I now have a monthly e-newsletter. (It's free.) I decided to offer this as a source of regular communication and an avenue of connection. My intention is to have a short essay with something spiritually enriching in the newsletter, along with a brief bit of information on my current travels and publications. If you, or someone you know, would like to be on the mailing list to receive this newsletter, please contact me:
Joyce@joycerupp.com - Joyce
NEW ** Online Videos featuring Joyce Rupp** NEW
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From the author... |
Welcome! Thank you for taking time to visit my website. Whether you arrived here on purpose or accidentally, I’m glad you came. As I write this I am savoring the beautiful solitude and peaceful quiet of my home in the woods. This lovely spot continues to allow me the contemplative space I need in order to write with depth and quality. I find great joy in sharing this wee part of the planet with the birds, deer, woodchuck, tree toads, fireflies and other creatures who dwell in the woods.
I hope you’ll find what you are looking for as you browse through this website. Thanks to my gifted website creator and manager, Faye Williamsen, you can click on a variety of items at the top of this page and have access to my current speaking schedule, information on publications, and a variety of articles, poems, and videos online. If there’s other information you are seeking and do not find here, contact me at: Joyce@joycerupp.com
My latest publication, Fragments of Your Ancient Name:365 Glimpses of the Divine for Daily Meditation, is now in bookstores and available through Amazon. I’ve already received messages from readers telling me how they are using the book. Their notes bring me much joy. A married couple are reading one prayer a day at their breakfast table, then reflecting on its message and how they can live it. A woman told me how she took Fragments of Your Ancient Name to their school faculty meeting and used it for the opening prayer by passingthe book around the circle of teachers and having each one read the prayer that was on their birthday. Another woman wrote to tell me she reads one of the prayers each day and then writes her own reflection using that same title for the divine. Creative ventures abound.
The Institute of Compassionate Presence remains a central focus of my teaching and speaking. The Institutethrives in its third year at our Servite Center of Compassion in Omaha. This is an eight session program (once a month on the second Friday). The four day intensives for the ICP that I offer nationally also continue to grow. The ICP intensive combines the content and process of the eight-day-once-a-month ICP and offers it in a four day format. I absolutely love the remarkable growth and deepened awareness that takes place for participants in this program. I truly believe compassion is what our world most needs, not only in order to survive, but to live the deepest and best of our precious humanity.
My hope is to do what I can to strengthen and enhance the spirituality of those who come into my life, whether through writing or through gatherings where I am speaking and teaching. Thank you for any way that you can join me in this hope of mine. I greatly value your support and interest. Together we can be a loving presence in our world!
- Joyce |
Articles of Interest...
Book shares peace found on journey - Review by Shirley Ragsdale, Des Moines Register, July 15, 2006, of Walk in a Relaxed Manner
Sneak Preview - Read preview chapter of Joyce's new book Walk in a Relaxed Manner online at The Healing Garden Journal.
"Desperately Seeking Sophia," US Catholic Magazine, October 2002
"Open Some Doors this Advent," US Catholic Magazine, November 24, 2008.
"Five Spiritual Lessons of Loss," Family Perspectives Journal, Summer 2002
"Celtic Crossovers: May the Lent of the Irish Be With You," U.S. Catholic, March 2001
"The art of cultivating spiritual growth," The editors interview Joyce Rupp. US Catholic, April 2000. pp 26-31.
"Let the Land Teach Us" About Healing and Creativity. Joyce Rupp. Catholic Rural Life, Spring 2000, pp. 12-16. Catholic Rural Life is a publication of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference. http://www.ncrlc.com
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Book Awards Announced
Catholic Press Association:
Walk in a Relaxed Manner - placed first in the area of spirituality, softcover book.
The Circle of Life placed second in this same category!
Independent Book Publishers Association:
The Circle of Life received a second place award in the Religion category.
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Devotional
Booklets
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About Joyce Rupp...
Joyce Rupp is well known for her work as a writer, a spiritual "midwife," and retreat and conference speaker. She has led retreats throughout North America, as well as in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Joyce has a B.A. in English, a M.R.E. in Religious Education, and a M.A. in Transpersonal Psychology. She is a member of the Servites (Servants of Mary) community and a volunteer for Hospice. She currently resides in Des Moines, Iowa. A list of Joyce's works can be found in the left column of this page. Click on the book title to find out more information about that title.
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Spiritual Zest
January 2012
On Christmas eve I was seated at one of the many tables serving as a volunteer host at a dinner for low income and homeless people of the neighborhood. Besides the two adults and four children who sat there, a fifth child slept in a car-seat nearby. This tiny boy was only two weeks old, born a month early, so you can imagine how miniature and fragile every part of him was. As I held the soft bundle of little Langdon, I thought about what awaited this child in the future. What might his journey involve? How would he grow? Who would he become? How would life treat him? What were his chances of developing as fully as possible? As his tiny hand clasped my little finger, I realized how much the prospect of the child’s destiny was shrouded in mystery.
In a way, the same is true for us. We can plan for, predict, anticipate and try to control what a new year might bring but we really never know for sure. Each day presents us with uncharted territory, even though we think we know where it might direct us. The move into January awakens hope much like the birth of child. The notion of a fresh beginning, the wide open space of unexplored possibilities, the opportunities for individual growth, all these can lead us to look forward to what is yet to come.
January can also instill the opposite response from us. The move into an unknown future might promote fear, dread and worry. We may have valid reasons for approaching the future with trepidation and hesitation due to financial, health, or relationship situations. No matter what our life holds, much depends on our attitude and the way we approach these concerns. Can we live with uncertainty, with not having everything fall into place at our choosing? Will we plant our spiritual feet each day on the inner path of faith? Can we let go of a desire to direct our lives tightly? Are we able to lighten our inner load of concerns by trusting God with what seems unmanageable? Will we let the days and months flow steadily on the river of divine love?
The first day of January is an invitation to return to a familiar Gospel passage and let each line sink further into our depths. In Chapter 12 of Luke, Jesus speaks to his disciples about dependence on the Holy One. He tells them to not worry about what to eat or wear because “life is about more than food and the body more than clothing.” Then he presents a most challenging question: “If even the smallest things are beyond your control, why are you anxious about the rest?” (v.23,26)
Jesus is really teaching two things here. The first is let go of worry and to trust in divine providence. The second is to put our life-circumstances in perspective, to stop fretting about what we want and be content with the little gifts that each day brings. I’ve noticed how people who are financially poor usually do better at this than those of us who have more than enough of the world’s material things.
Jesus ends his teaching on divine providence and trust in God by reminding the disciples “where your treasure is, there also will be your heart.” (v.34) When we know what gives our life value and worth everything else falls into place. Then the new year that beckons to us is one we can walk into with a peaceful mind and heart, confident that all shall be well, no matter what happens.
© Joyce Rupp
Check out previous Spiritual Zest Articles.
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Reviews...
"The Dance of Oneness," A review of The Cosmic Dance by Loretta Peters, EarthLight, Summer 2002.
"A Nurturing God," A review by Sally Cunneen of Prayers to Sophia and The Star in My Heart. The American Catholic, March 2000, pp. 7, 19. http://www.vfr.com/tac
Reviews by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat,Values and Visions Review Service
Open the Door
Walk in a Relaxed Manner
Out of the Ordinary: Prayers, Poems, and Reflections for Every Season
The Star in My Heart: Experiencing Sophia, Inner Wisdom
Reviewed by Sharon Flesher Prayers to Sophia: A Companion to "A Star in My Heart"
Reviewed by Austin Repath Walk in a Relaxed Manner |
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