From an early age we are taught how to care for ourselves. We learn how to dress ourselves, keep ourselves clean, provide food and other nourishment. However, we often go years without learning how to care for our soul. Lisa Colon DeLayhas written a short series of articles that she has combined into an e-document she calls Soul Care for Creators and Communicators. Within this document are many jewels of advice that speak to my soul. She discusses what Soul Care is and how it differs from traditional therapy. She lists 10 Signs that an individual may need Soul Care. All of this is tied to our spiritual journey. In the second volume of her work, she discusses Isolation and Community and the importance of avoiding isolation. Volume Three gives us 8 Paths to Learning. Volume Four shows the many Slumps, Burnout and Frustrations that we encounter and how the Sabbath can provide comfort for the journey. Volume 5 details God’s Grand Story from Creation to Redemption.

I found this work good for my soul as I travel down my specific journey. After years of full time paid ministry I gave a great deal of my soul to the work of the church. I encounter many of the slumps, burnout and frustrations that she discusses. Since leaving paid ministry, I have developed a tendency to isolate myself. This attempt to heal and protect myself from further frustrations, I often find myself causing my soul greater damage. Avoiding community takes me into my self thought and that can be a scary place to be. I find her list of 8 Paths to Learning to be helpful and need to print it out where I can reference it often. These 8 paths are: 1. Through the Holy Spirit 2. Through Scripture 3. In community 4. Through spiritual guides/teachers 5. Through Sacraments 6. Through devotional practices 7. Through Christian History/Tradition 8. Through the created world, a.k.a. “nature. These seem obvious, but I too often find my self spending my time watching tv or scanning the internet. I hope to focus on these 8 paths more often in the days to come and to care for my soul in the way that God intends.