Wow.

I’ve had periods of radio silence from time to time, but never one like this. January. The last time I posted something was January, aka seven months ago! That, as I like to say, is a little much. And apparently, I’m not alone in thinking that. One of my longtime readers, Karen F., actually called me one day.

“Kristen, are you okay?” she asked. “I’m just wondering because we haven’t heard from you in long time.”

So true, Karen. In fact, I’m dedicating this post to you. I appreciate the call and the concern. And the nudge. Clearly, it’s time for me to reemerge from my cave and resume our conversations about prayer beads and healing and being deeply loved by God.

Plus, I have so much to share. Although I was quiet, I was really, really busy. It may have had something to do with my last blog post where I told you about my Star Word for the year: abundance. Because this year has been full of abundance. An abundance of abundance you could say.

Fellow Upper Room author J. Dana Trent and I getting ready to board the My Quiet Spaces Cruise ship

It started in late January. The time just before, during, and after Lent is always my busiest season of the year, both in terms of speaking engagements and prayer bead sales. But this year’s schedule was off the charts. I have never traveled so much. Between the end of January and early May I was in: Mexico – Athens, GA – Charleston, SC – Dahlonega, GA – Greenwood, SC – Cedar Key, FL – St. Simon’s Island, GA – Asheville, NC – Memphis, TN – Baton Rouge, LA – Charleston, WV – and the island of Dominica – along with multiple local engagements in Atlanta in between. When I wasn’t traveling, I was busy trying to keep up with your record-setting orders for DIY Prayer Bead Kits, completed sets of prayer beads, and other prayer tools. Like I said: abundant.

While all of this was a gift, here were some of the highlights:

  • The My Quiet Spaces Cruise, sponsored by The Upper Room: with more than 160 participants, we sailed the ocean blue and talked prayer beads, meditation, writing, and other ways to find quiet time with God. The best part was the down time and abundant opportunities to meet and hang out with fellow prayer bead fans.
  • The Three-Day Academy for Spiritual Formation in Charleston, WV: most of you know the role The Academy played in my healing. Ever since, it has been my dream to serve as faculty for The Academy, and in particular, to teach on healing from trauma. I got to do exactly that in Charleston, and it was everything I hoped it would be. Bonus: the bonds I made with a number of the participants. That is a memory I will hold close for years to come.

    Teaching on healing at The Academy for Spiritual Formation = total abundance

  • The Healing from Trauma retreat for clergy and lay people (sponsored by The Upper Room) on the island of Dominica: our retreat for the residents of St. Martin was so well-received that word spread to the nearby island of Dominica. I’ll write more about this trip later, but suffice it to say, it was profound to see the ways in which Hurricane Maria decimated the island’s rain forest and infrastructure; to hear the stories of pain and survival from the residents; and to experience their hope and signs of God’s deep love as they continue to recover.

This is the first half of my story of abundance in 2018, and an effort to bring you up to speed. Part Two will describe the second half, which is a very different type of story. In the meantime, thanks for hanging in there with me during this long, long, long period of silence. I greatly appreciate your prayers, your support, and your patience. And your calls to say, “Kristen, where are you?”