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parenting yourself: Mental Health Awareness Month
Pre-quarantine, back in the days of yore, my husband and I went to a dinner party. I had been battling on-going physical and mental health issues and learning how to deal with panic attacks. We had jumped through some hoops to find childcare so that we could spend an evening with adults, but Anxiety didn’t…
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Mothered by God: reflections for Mother's Day
In the beginning, God hovered over the Earth like a mother bird preparing her nest. A baby grows within a mother’s body and then emerges with the mother’s DNA, like the mystery of Jesus’ “I in you and you in Me.” When new life arrives, mothers nourish and nurture. They remain deeply in tune with and…
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Quarantine queries, #4: How can I talk back to my shame?
We are coming to the end of week 7 in quarantine. Every day I am grateful for many things, but today I felt Not Ok. I’m learning that when I struggle, the struggle itself usually pales in comparison to the shame that is close on the heels of the initial problem. Some days, it whispers…
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Quarantine queries, #3: Where will I belong?
As a 6 on the Enneagram , I am aware that I tend to give too much weight to authority figures and systems. A year ago, when I was praying and discerning a big decision, I pictured myself with tons of cords coming from my body, plugged into many outlets representing systems that I’ve trusted…
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Quarantine Queries, #2: How can I stay centered?
This week’s quarantine query:”How do I stay centered amidst all the uncertainty?” I find that during this anxious time filled with a steady outpouring of information that is constantly changing, I am leaning on spiritual practices that I have been introduced to over the past couple of years. My practices are inconsistent and very imperfect,…
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Quarantine Queries, #1: What do I do with my anxiety?
I beg you, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart… And to try to love the questions themselves, as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live…
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on Botham Jean and forgiveness: justice and mercy are not mutually exclusive
The unjust, unprovoked murder of Botham Jean is a symptom of the communal sin of white supremacy. The idea that whiteness is superior is so baked into our society, none of us can be unaffected. If we do not actively work to dismantle it, we are upholding it. Though Amber Guyger was convicted, she is…
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why I’m grateful for panic attacks: anticipating rescue
“For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of…
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dreams deferred
Two years ago, almost to the day, God completely changed my life. In November of 2016, I remember talking with a friend and telling her that I felt like something was coming, but I didn’t know what it was. As we sat together in her car in the parking lot, she prayed with me and…
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My Body is Not a Conversation Piece: when small talk is not so small
Ladies, we need to talk. To start with, I’d like to share an excerpt from my book-in-progress: “Rachel!” a voice said. “Marion! Hello! Sorry, June’s having a rough morning.” “No worries, I totally understand! I won’t keep you. I can see that you’re busy, but it’s good to see you! We’ve missed you at book…
Lindsay L. O'Connor
Spiritual Director | Enneagram Professional | Writer | Speaker
Lindsay L. O'Connor 