Whale Spouts - August 2019
Nurturing Spiritual Vitality in
Everyday Living
Dearest friends,

May the summer sun fill your heart and soul with the light of God's never-ending love. I pray that this edition of Whale Spouts will be a light for your day.
  • Contemplate This: Whale Spout Prayers
  • Belly of the Whale Silent Retreat
  • Advent Planning - FREE downloadable resources
  • Praying with Mandalas - 20% OFF SALE
  • Seasonal Poem - Belly of the Whale Haiku

Summer blessings, hope, love and light to you.

Peace,
Sharon
Rev. Sharon Seyfarth Garner
Spiritual Director & Founder of Belly of the Whale Ministries
Contemplate This:
Whale Spout Prayers
The striking image of a whale spout spraying high into the air from the ocean surface is not only beautiful, but it is also essential for a whale's survival. Whales can live beneath the sea for long periods of time, but they must regularly come to the surface for air in order to survive. A spout occurs when, just as the whale surfaces, it blows out all of the old air in one big whoosh. This huge exhale creates space in the lungs that can then be refilled with new, life-giving air. The spout is an indication that the whale is yet alive - breathing out and breathing in - refreshed and strengthened to dive back into the deep.

Like the whale, we need to regularly surface from our busy lives in order to exhale the "old" and inhale the "new." Prayer is our whale spout; a spiritual whoosh that clears out the "old" burdens that drag us down and creates space that is then refilled with the fresh air of God's life-giving Spirit. Prayer is our indication to God that we are yet alive - breathing out and breathing in - refreshed and strengthened to dive back into both the joys and the challenges of daily life.

We offer our "whale spout prayers" to God - breathing out and breathing in - reassured of God's presence within and without, always and everywhere. Amen!

This edition of "Contemplate This" is reprinted from our very first
Whale Spouts newsletter back in the summer of 2014. Enjoy!
Belly of the Whale
Silent Retreat
Our first cohort of the Belly of the Whale Silent Retreat gathered at the Jesuit Retreat Center in Cleveland, Ohio July 7-10, 2019. What a blessing! We came from near and far (Missouri, Kansas, Maryland, Ohio) and became sacred community even amidst the silence. Thank you for your prayers, support and encouragement as we soaked in the silence and reflected on the meaning of Jonah's story in our own lives.

Our second (hopefully annual) Belly of the Whale Silent Retreat will likely be June 28 - July 1, 2020 . I will be confirming the dates soon and send out an official "Save the Date" invitation with information about when registration will be opening. You will likely want to register early since our first retreat sold out and I would anticipate that happening again. I keep the group intentionally small so that I can meet individually with each person for a short session of spiritual direction if they so desire over the course of the retreat.
Planning Ahead:
#ColorYourAdvent
Although December may seem far away, some of you may already be planning ahead. I would be honored if you would consider using my book,   Mandalas, Candles, and Prayer: A Simply Centered Advent for your congregation, small group or personal devotions.  

FREE, easy-to-use, downloadable guides are available on our website to keep your Advent planning simple and meaningful.
Praying with Mandalas:
a colorful, contemplative practice
Have crayons - will travel! Enjoy this creative, relaxing summer sabbath practice. At the great deal of 20% off, order a new copy for yourself and several more to share with friends!

Thanks to my mom for this photo of the way she likes to pray with mandalas at the beach.
Seasonal Poem
I wrote this haiku and took this photo during the recent Belly of the Whale Silent Retreat.
Morning sun rise bright

Evening fireflies welcome night

Rest amidst moon light
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Belly of the Whale Spiritual Direction & Retreat Ministries | Website