Check out the song below which expresses some of the themes from the previous week …

Take some prayerful time today to review the week and savor the goodness and grace of God with you. Engage the following questions as an examen for the week. In addition, engage in a creative exercise: write a poem, paint a picture, plant a flower, stack some stones, etc.

The examen each week will center around discernment, desire, and dwelling. 

• Do I have a sense of where I am? Or what is the state of my soul? (discernment) This question is important so that we are meeting God where we are and not where we’d like to be or think we should be. 
  • What do I want? (desire) We examine our desires because desire is the foundation for a life of seeking God’s heart. We may have desires we do not want or desires that are less than a desire for God, but we ask this question to notice how our desires are being shaped, reshaped, and deepened. 
  • How is God loving me? (dwelling) In the house of the Lord (which is prayer), we experience God’s love. Noticing the ways God is loving us deepens our awareness of and connection to dwelling (abiding) in God’s loving presence. 

Take some time with each of these questions … perhaps journaling your responses. Slow down and notice.

Where am I? (the discipline of discernment) 

What do I want? (the discipline of desire) 

How is God loving me? (the discipline of dwelling)

Prayer: Lord, thank You for walking with me as I notice You shifting and shaping my heart in times of disorientation. In Your mercy, may I continue to grow in desire and the capacity to stay vulnerable to Your love. Amen. 

Creative Exercise … engage in something that gives expression to your experience this week. Consider sharing this with someone, or keep it between you and the Lord. *Note: you may think, “I’m not creative.” However, it may be a muscle you’ve just not exercised. Creative expression allows us to embody what we’re experiencing with God. Talk to God about what creative expression might look like for you.