True Life Exchange

04/11/2026

Collect Prayer of the Day

Creator of the colorful trees and the setting sun. As the sun illuminates the foliage, the colors become more vibrant than fathomable.
Show me how to allow your light to fall upon me in a way that highlights the unique colors you've placed within me. So that I can shine bright as the world is turning to dusk.
You bring vibrancy forth in me.

03/11/2026

Continuing with Collect Prayer, see previous post. Here is one I wrote today.

Creator of infants who cry without restraint.
Show me how to acknowledge and verbalize my needs to you and others.

So that I may know you as an ever-present nurturer who hears and tends to my cries, and so that I can become more accepting of receiving from others.

Your presence holds my humanity.

02/11/2026

I love this time of year for many reasons; one is that you can walk in the morning and see the moon setting and the sun rising, and in the evening see the sun setting and the moon rising, and do so with pleasant temperatures.
One of the spiritual practices I utilize for allowing my observations to resonate, reverberate, and linger is collect prayer. I’ve included mine from today, followed by instructions for writing your own collect prayers. I hope you enjoy this practice as much as I do.
God of the seemingly and surprisingly simultaneous moonset and sunrise.
Teach me to marvel at what has been, release it, and embrace the layers of beauty that appear when the sun lifts above the horizon.
So that I may embrace the beauty of the day, reminded that your presence is always here, rises above my reasoning, and is an embodied experience.
I am grateful for your WITHNESS in what has been and what is.
Collect Prayer Writing
Collects are short prayers that help gather us. They collect our thoughts, our hopes, our worries, and our attention, bringing them before God.
Traditionally, a collect includes an address to God, a remembrance of who God is, a request, a reason for that request, and a word of praise or trust. But collects are not about getting the formula right. They are about paying attention.
You might write a collect for this particular day, a season you're living through, a celebration, a loss, or a question you carry. Let it be simple. Let it be honest.
As you write, notice what rises to the surface. Sometimes a collect reveals what we most deeply long for, what we most need, or where we most clearly sense God's presence. Give it a try and see what prayer emerges.

21/10/2026

Some of the most transformative conversations I have with clients focus on the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. These notes from Kobe Campbell highlight some important distinctions.

17/10/2026

Behaving in ways that help others feel seen by you is priceless and builds emotional safety in your relationship.

12/10/2026

We welcomed two babies to our family this late winter and spring. I’ve spent countless hours holding our babies, changing diapers, feeding bottles, burping, and playing with them, but mostly looking into their little eyes and being present with the weight of their tiny, fast-growing bodies in my arms. On a recent Zoom collaboration call with some spiritual directors, one of my colleagues asked me what it was like to be seen by these babies. The question took me aback, as most questions from spiritual directors and companions can, and as I paused to ponder, I didn’t seem to have words for the experience of witnessing these little lives and being seen or witnessed by them. All I could muster was that I sensed a deep stillness from within and a profound joy. We were all made for relationship with God and with one another, and when we take the time to see, care for, and be seen by one another, we experience true life. Life is meant to bring us deep connection with ourselves, God, and others.

11/10/2026

Sundays are my special time each week to reflect and gather my thoughts. This week, I was really drawn to Dr. Shauna Rae's idea of “instead of options.” I wanted to share it with you, hoping it might also inspire your own reflections on your relationships.

05/10/2026

I am often asked what spiritual direction is, so I thought I'd take a little time today to describe it and share a bit more about what I do. Spiritual direction is a beautiful ministry of soul care where someone trained in the art of contemplative listening holds space for you to be with God and asks reflective questions to help you explore where God is with you and how you are responding. In any spiritual direction relationship, it's important to have mutual open, honest, and clear communication and a reverence for the unique way God is working in your life.

I love cultivating a safe space for others to become curious about themselves and Divine Love and to notice together how Divine Love has formed them and is moving around, within, and through them. Holding the difficult, confusing, and delightful aspects of others' lives with them is a sacred honor. I am tender toward those who grew up feeling unseen or marginalized and for those detangling their faith from the structures they were formed within. I’ve had the privilege of soul-companioning individuals from varied backgrounds and ages. With twenty-two years of experience offering discipleship counseling, coaching, and spiritual direction, I bring deep understanding and a genuine commitment to supporting your personal growth.

Currently, I offer spiritual direction sessions via Zoom from the greater Charlotte, NC, area, making it convenient for individuals seeking guidance from anywhere.

Contact: [email protected] or visit www.truelifeexchange.com

27/09/2026