Hermitage Retreat Center – Plum Librarian LLC

V :: If He Opens a Door for You

I ended my retreat with two concepts that were entirely new to me. One is from Wayne Muller: Resolve to go through an entire day assuming that you are trustworthy, that all your feelings are accurate, that all your perceptions and intuitions are reliable.Legacy of the Heart Give that concept three hours of journaling. GiveContinueContinue reading “V :: If He Opens a Door for You”

IV :: Unearned and Unearnable

My spiritual advisor JMD had encouraged me to explore God’s love through the Sufi mystics. I associate sin and God’s love with Christianity, obedience and God’s mercy with Islam. Islam is safe and quieting and beautiful in obedience and mercy. When I meditated on the Love of God, I realized its scope. Unearned. Unearnable. AndContinueContinue reading “IV :: Unearned and Unearnable”

III :: The Snake Lady Explores Obedience

I converted to Islam in 1988. I tell people: “I chose Islam because I need lots of rules to tell me I’m doing it right.” Obedience is often considered a lesser form of religious expression. In our culture there aren’t a lot of opportunities to talk about obedience and I had not developed a vocabularyContinueContinue reading “III :: The Snake Lady Explores Obedience”

II :: Woot to a 13th Century Egyptian Sufi Sheikh

I was amazed by what I found in Sufi mysticism. Ibn ‘Ata’Illah’s Book of Wisdom sang of God in verse as I have no language for. He captured exactly what I think, what I feel, how I approach God, and what I struggle with in prayer. What I’m trying to say is, he nailed itContinueContinue reading “II :: Woot to a 13th Century Egyptian Sufi Sheikh”

I :: Shout Out to the Mennonites for Leading Me to the Sufi Mystics

Last week, I spent four days at The Hermitage, a retreat center in Southwest Michigan. They practice silence. Simplicity. And are associated with the Mennonites. My spiritual advisor, JMD, is a resident staff member there. I had been keeping a gratitude journal in preparation for my time there. I collected reading recommendations and knew IContinueContinue reading “I :: Shout Out to the Mennonites for Leading Me to the Sufi Mystics”

The Hermitage: Checking in on my goals

I made some specific goals when I visited The Hermitage last fall. Mariko recommended setting those to help with follow-through. I’m checking in on them now. PrayerPrayer became once again a part of my daily life during and after my stay. Then: Ramadan Rebound this spring. It’s been two and a half months and I’mContinueContinue reading “The Hermitage: Checking in on my goals”

A 20 Year Dream Fulfilled

When I was 16, my favorite class was creative writing with Judith DeWoskin at Community High School in Ann Arbor. I worked for three years on the school’s literary rag as well as taking a wide range of English classes including Chinese lit. I graduated with seven and a half years of English credits. IContinueContinue reading “A 20 Year Dream Fulfilled”