Receiving 

Spiritual Autobiography and Writing About Memories

Things I have dreamed and prayed for have come true. Some of these things have made permanent changes in my life. They are permanent and wonderful changes that answer desires that have been a long time in coming. Others end up not being quite the miracle I thought they would be. They are temporary answers and respites on a long road to greater maturity and healing.

My life isn't perfect. In fact, it's very broken. At the same time, I am surrounded by abundant blessings. I live my daily life in the tension of these two realities: beauty and brokenness. When I wrote Dancing in the Doghouse I did my best to explore this tension because it's such a part of all our lives. I wanted Dancing in the Doghouse to be a story others could relate to and find themselves in. I want my spiritual autobiography to be a celebration of the tension of these "two realities" so that people will see (through my life) that life is good despite its difficulties.

Writing about memories is an opportunity to you to explore the tensions of your own life. What is the life tension that you live in? What are the good and bad realities that surround you? How can you start receiving the goodness of your life in spite of the pain? How can you make this “celebration of goodness" a part of your spiritual autobiography?

Sharing My Journey 

Spiritual Memoir and writing about my memories:

My “Womb Series” is a reflection on my connection with the life growing within me. I create differently. I’m dabbling in abstraction. I mix sand in my paints to add texture. I use vibrant colors against dark outlines. Flowing shapes fill the rectangular frame. I work quickly and boldly. Along with the new life growing inside me I find a new way to express things. I feel like everything is completely different and completely new. I want my art to resonate of the change that is happening in me and to me.

I’d always rejected the idea that there is a subconscious element to what I create. Now that I look back on what I’ve been making, I realize that what I’ve made is a series of paintings that echo the shape and form of a womb. It’s somewhat embarrassing how obvious it is. I realize just how unconscious I am. I laugh at myself and my foolishness. I really believed that everything I created was completely conscious and deliberate. My “Womb Series” betrays my pride. I see there is more to my interior world than I can understand. There is so little about myself that I actually comprehend.

My foolishness aside, I enjoy my new creations. They mark a time of expectation. I’m excited to have my little girl. Yet, I know that right now she is closer to Heaven than she will be again until she passes on. She’s warm inside of me and she’s with me all the time. She has everything she needs and knows nothing of longing or pain. Her world is perfect and I am her world. I’m glad I have my paintings, so I won’t forget how wonderful it has been to carry my first child inside of me. I’m glad I have them so I won’t forget the time when I could be everything my little girl needed and could keep her perfectly sheltered and safe. Being pregnant has been a wonderful mystery. I am abundantly grateful.

Womb 
Age 28

Sharing Your Journey

Spiritual Memoir and writing about your memories:

Spiritual autobiography, or spiritual memoir, connects our memories and experiences to our spirituality. My spiritual autobiography, Dancing in the Doghouse, is an exploration and celebration of memories, blessings and life experiences despite the challenges of my life. Connections between the past and the present helped me see how God was tangibly present on my spiritual journey. Telling my story solidified my faith and gave me an opportunity to thank God for the gifts and blessings of my story.

What are the greatest gifts and blessings you have received? Draw a rectangle on a page in your journal. Imagine that this rectangle is a gift box where you can recall all sorts of memories. Fill it with all the gifts and blessings God has given you. When you are finished filling your box consider what you have remembered. How do you feel about what you see? What do these feelings say about your spirituality? Write your answers to these questions in your journal. Ask God to help you celebrate the gifts He has given you. Ask Him how these gifts have a place in your story.

Tags For This Journey: writing about memories, spiritual memoir, spiritual autobiography

Image Gallery

Beautiful World
Age 28

 

Healing Waters
Age 29
 

The Colors and the Creatures of the Sea
Age 30

Path to Heaven
Age 31

 

 

Memoir and My Memories: Dancing in the Doghouse