What is a purpose-filled life?

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What is a purpose-filled life? In his book, Art + Faith, Catholic artist, Makoto Fujimura, describes a “Theology of making.” “We are Imago Dei, created to be creative, and we are by nature creative makers.” He defines a purpose-filled life as being engaged in a co-creative process with the Holy Spirit. My experience tells me that engagement begins when we come face-to-face with a question that reveals what is true about ourselves. St. Paul experienced that on the road to Damascus when he heard, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4)

Happy New Year

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Happy New Year!

The beginning of a new year gives us a fresh start, an opportunity to reset the clock and do some reflecting. Many use this time to think about new goals involving diet, exercise and finances. Doing so can help us avoid the bigger question, “Am I happy?”

If the answer to that question makes us uncomfortable, it is time to consider whether we are living a purpose-filled life. A purpose-filled life is passionate and vulnerable. It demands our commitment and our sacrifice. It is no less than the quest for the holy grail. Being on that journey is the definition of “happy.”

Some choose a pilgrimage; I know people who have walked the famous Camino in Spain. There are many such journeys, each travelled with the hope of personal discovery and the reward of having “done it.” For those of us without the time, money, or energy for such an adventure, there is another way to ensure our own epic quest. I will share the secret to that happiness over the next few weeks. Stay tuned.

Thinking Big

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We live in a culture that worships “Big.” We like big trucks, big houses, big celebrations, big risk and big reward. Yet, ironically, I can think of nothing bigger than an infant’s first smile. That smile can melt the most hardened of hearts and silence an entire room of chattering adults. Can you imagine the first smile that appeared on that cold night in Bethlehem? Take a moment in this busy season and let it warm whatever needs warming in you.

PQ Process

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I was recently asked if finding your powerful question is a “going inside” process. The question gets to an important point. We typically gravitate to either internal or external when we want to reflect on our life. If we are injured or hurt we often do a quick internal assessment ie, “How is this affecting me?” If we want to consider whether we feel good about our life we often begin by taking an external inventory of what we have and what we have accomplished.

Discovering our powerful question requires both an internal and external examination. Stay with only internal and you will likely encounter judgmental self-talk and old scripts that can keep you stuck. Stay with only the external and you will likely miss the deeper meaning of accomplishments, successes and failures. Finding where internal and external intersect, and staying with any tension that may exist there is the sweet spot where powerful questions can reveal themselves.

PQ Institute Updates

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Welcome to Advent, the season of anticipation and hope. In that same spirit of hope, and with a prayerful attitude, I have been busy anticipating what 2023 will bring to the Powerful Question Institute. I expect it will include another retreat, this one in the UP of Michigan in September of 2023, and development of Zoom classes. These classes will be limited to three or four individuals working with me directly as they pursue their powerful questions. This will be a new challenge, but one I am eager to pursue. Specifics regarding both of these initiatives will be coming soon.

Memories

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As we mature and age, we tend to remember people and events in fragments, especially during Thanksgiving family gatherings. We also recognize that these fragments of memory are more important to us than remembering everything.

Here’s hoping that the Thanksgiving fragments you receive, as well as those you create, are grace-filled and treasured.

Fall 2022 Retreat

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This past weekend 21 people participated in the Powerful Question Retreat at the Augustine Center in Conway, Michigan. Nine of those individuals found their powerful question and eight presented on Sunday morning. It was a hard-working retreat and some said it should be a week long, not a weekend long retreat. A few participants said that it was a powerful healing event. If there was a common denominator, it would be that most were in some sort of life transition and wanting to know what God wanted next from them.

As the retreat coordinator, I was moved and humbled by the response. I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in a profound and tangible way as evidenced by the stories we heard from participants. I cannot thank my brother Joe, and Michelle Nemer enough for their support and expert facilitation on the retreat.

Numerous next steps have emerged for the Powerful Question Institute. Most certainly there will be future retreats. Keep your eyes on the website. The next one will be announced soon. Other endeavors are under “exploration” and will be announced when ready.

Upcoming Retreat

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In his September 7th general audience, Pope Francis offered the following. “There is a history that precedes one who discerns, a history that is indispensable to know, because discernment is not a sort of oracle or fatalism, or something from a laboratory, like casting one’s lot on two possibilities. The great questions arise when we have already travelled a stretch of the road in life, and it is to that journey that we must return in order to understand what we are looking for.”

With this statement, Pope Francis wrote the introduction to the Powerful Question retreat in Petoskey on October 14-16th . We will be doing just what he suggests and in doing so find the purpose we were born to serve.

There are a few openings left. But act soon before the retreat is filled.

As I drove the five hours “downstate” from my home in the Upper Peninsula I thought about the apostles and how they were sent to distant lands to preach the Gospel. They did not have modern cars or class A highways. What they did have was the fire of the Holy Spirit to keep them going. I pray that this same spirit will keep me going.

The Spirit Keeps Me Going

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This past week I had the pleasure of presenting the powerful question approach to discernment to parishioners at St. Francis of Assisi parish in Traverse City, Michigan  and St. Mary’s Cathedral in Gaylord, Michigan. It also gave me a chance to remind them that the deadline for early registration for the October retreat was fast approaching. (There are still three days left to take advantage of the early bird discount)

As I drove the five hours “downstate” from my home in the Upper Peninsula I thought about the apostles and how they were sent to distant lands to preach the Gospel. They did not have modern cars or class A highways. What they did have was the fire of the Holy Spirit to keep them going. I pray that this same spirit will keep me going.

Interview

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This past week I had the privilege of being interviewed by Curtis and Karen Herbert on their podcast titled The Midlife Catholic. Their theme was finding purpose, a nice fit with finding Your Most Powerful Question. I would recommend their podcast to any person of faith who wants to know what God wants of them next. I hope you check them out.

I would also note that The Word Among Us magazine recently began advertising my book, Your Most Powerful Question. Praise God!

There are still openings for the October Powerful Question retreat, but room is limited and the discount rate expires at the end of this month. Don’t miss out. Registration for this event is found right here on this web site.

If you have questions contact me at johnolesnavage@gmail.com

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