I can recall the period after losing my twins being divided in two distinct parts: the undoing and the rebuilding.
My losses felt like a storm that came through my life and dismantled it. At first, I could only sit in the wreckage and try to survive. But as time passed, I felt able to survey the situation and realize that I didn’t have to put things back together in the same way. There were several things that weren’t working properly – unhealthy thoughts, habits, and relationships – and I understood that I had been given a unique opportunity that could only have happened as a result of my undoing: I could use that experience to change in ways I might never have been able to otherwise.
Much like a caterpillar is completely reconfigured during its time in a cocoon, then bursts forth into something new and changed, after a time of darkness, it seemed that God wanted to rebuild me in new ways and create beauty from the ashes of my loss.
It felt like He was preparing me to take flight.
But I needed to start slowly. I had to feel my way along with small steps that included learning more about my new, post-loss self. I needed to learn new ways to relate to others that were more loving but also healthier, honoring my own needs, too. Finally, I had to learn how to take these new things I was learning about myself and discover God’s plan for using them.
This workshop series is designed to help you discover the ways that God may be preparing you to “take flight” by establishing a firm foundation of healthy, proper formation as you rebuild after loss.
Beginning with self-awareness, we will grow in understanding of our unique temperaments and the way we interact with others. We will move into self-possession to learn how to set goals for ourselves and hold our thoughts up to the light of reason. Finally, we will pull all of these tools together to discover the unique calling God has for our lives so that we can be a true self-gift to others.
This is not New Age mindfulness and self-help. This information is firmly rooted in the scriptures, in the teachings of Saints like St. Teresa of Avila and St. Thomas Aquinas, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Imagine how amazing it would feel to enter into a new liturgical year with a sense of purpose and a better understanding of the way God wants to use your unique gifts for the body of Christ!
What will we learn?
September 25, 2023 – Understanding Your Unique Temperament Workshop Discover your unique God-given temperament and how it affects the way you show up in all areas of your life. Together we will identify your particular strengths and weaknesses, the things that motivate you and the things that trigger you. St. Teresa of Avila says that walking in truth and self-knowledge are two important components to humility, so let us begin here. (A free temperaments assessment is included.)
The Reason Cycle With this three-part workshop, we transition from self-awareness to self-possession. The Reason Cycle is a process by which we grow aware of our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, see how they are impacting our lives, hold them to the light of truth, and decide how we will think going forward to live a life of greater purpose, freedom, and virtue. This is a meta-skill that can change the way you solve problems for the rest of your life!
October 2, 2023 – The Reason Cycle Part 1: Setting Goals and Identifying Problems
October 9, 2023 – The Reason Cycle Part 2: Unpacking our Thoughts and Emotions
October 16, 2023 – The Reason Cycle Part 3: Using our Judgment and Reason
October 23, 2023 – Managing Your Expectations of Others We all have expectations of the other people in our lives – our spouses, our children, our extended family. In this workshop we will learn about the different “manuals” – or unspoken rules – we have for others and what we can make it mean when they meet or don’t meet those expectations. We can learn how to let go of these things and improve the health of these relationships.
October 30, 2023 – Setting Healthy Boundaries In this workshop we will talk about setting boundaries with others. We do this by getting clear about the things that are inside and outside of our control. Sometimes we need to reevaluate our boundaries after an experience like the loss of a child. Let’s talk about how to do this before we head into the holiday season.
November 6, 2023 – Embracing Forgiveness In this workshop we will talk about what forgiveness means. We will examine areas where we may need to forgive others, forgive God, or forgive ourselves and learn how to do this freely, using our will. This skill can open huge channels of grace and help us to heal from and move past places we may feel stuck.
Discovering Your Unique Call to Sanctity In this two-part workshop, we will build on what we have learned so far and pull it all together to discern the unique calling God has for you. By looking at your temperament, talents, gifts, and passions, we will learn how to get a better understanding of the mission God has planned for you. With your solid foundation of self-awareness and self-possession, you can prepare to become a more virtuous self-gift to your family, friends, parish, and possibly beyond! As St. Catherine of Siena tells us, “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”
November 13, 2023 – Unique Call to Sanctity Part 1 – Identifying Your Gifts and Passions
November 20, 2023 – Unique Call to Sanctity Part 2 – Discovering Your Mission
How Does it Work?
This nine-week workshop series will take place inside my free online community. These workshops will be held live on Monday evenings from 7 – 8:30 pm Eastern (US) Time.
Registered participants will have access to a recording of each workshop if they are unable to attend in person.
Also included:
- Printable journaling pages and prompts to work on between sessions and beyond for lasting change
- Interactive Community area to discuss what you’re learning with other participants
- Weekly Lectio Divina sessions
- Discounted 1:1 coaching sessions with me after the course
The price for this workshop series is $249. Payment plans are available.
Registration is closed for this workshop series, but you can join my mailing list to be informed when this series will be held again.