A (Re) Introduction
Who's writing and why
There’s been an influx of new readers around here in recent months: welcome!
I thought it might be good to re-introduce myself so that you get to know the person sending these emails… and why I’m sending them.
So: Hi, I’m Kerri. Every year at summer camp they had us do that ice breaker where you have to share something you like that starts with first letter of your name. Very often I’d find myself saying: “Hi, I’m Kerri, and I like Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes”... not because they were a great love of my life, but because what else was I supposed to say? Kites? Kangaroos?
Thankfully, this isn’t summer camp, so I can share some things I actually really do like: binge reading novels, hosting people in my home, game nights, and my job.
I know not everyone would name that last one - I’m really fortunate to do what I do: helping people learn to discern their God-given lives.
I began this work because I talked to so many people in different walks of life – students, moms, professionals, empty-nesters – who were all struggling with the same question: “what am I doing with my life?!”
(I wrestled with the same question.)
Juggling the demands of life with the desires of the heart is no easy task.
Learning to listen to God in a world of constant noise is tough.
Sorting out what works for you and not for Sue (your mother-in-law, the Instagram influencer, that lady in the cereal aisle judging your grocery cart) takes courage.
I’m here to help.
Why Discernment
Our culture and the world of social media thrive on quick-fixes and dogmatic statements about non-moral issues. Just the other day I saw a headline telling me that I’ve been folding my socks the wrong way. And weirdly, it’s tempting to be told “the right way” to fold socks. Why? Because then I don’t have take responsibility for my own sock drawer. If it isn’t working for me, I can blame the expert whose job it was to tell me what to do.
But discernment in life doesn’t work that way.
First, there is no one right way to fold socks. There are better and worse ways that serve different priorities. If your priority is aesthetics, you’ll fold them differently than if your priority is ease.
Second, it’s my sock drawer. I get to choose my own priority for it. Or I get to choose not to have any priority about it at all. Either way, it’s not someone else’s job. Sure, they can offer suggestions or new ideas, but at the end of the day, I’m the one with the socks.
In the sock drawer of life, there are a lot of things that are non-moral issues. While the 10 Commandments are non-negotiable, whether and whom you marry, what work and how much of it you do, where you live, how you spend your resources… (within reason) all of these things are issues to discern. There are better and worse ways of doing them, but what works for one person may not work for another. And what God calls one person to, may not be the call for another.
Discernment is the spiritual art and practical skill of sifting out what’s relevant and irrelevant, timely and untimely, helpful and unhelpful, in the questions we’re holding and the decisions we want to make. It’s doing all of that in relationship- in dialogue- with God.
And sometimes? It helps to have someone else asking questions that help us get to the heart of the matter; sharing their own discernment so we can see similarities and differences to our own; and offering practical ideas of things we can actually do to get better at discernment.
That’s what I do, here in this newsletter, and 1:1 with my clients. I love my job!
How it Works
We work on all sorts of things together:
understanding and appreciating the person God has made us to be, so that our discernment can be realistic and not merely aspirational;
figuring out what our priorities are so that we don’t waste valuable resources of time, energy, and money;
and learning helpful ways of thinking and acting that facilitate our ability to listen to God’s voice and the sounds of our own soul.
Here’s what one client shared recently about his own journey in discernment through our work together:
This process has significantly bolstered my confidence in how God has designed me. While I had previously been hesitant to attribute too much significance to my inherent traits, fearing I was overstepping without God's confirmation, I now see that God’s design is intentional. Realising that living in alignment with His design is the path to a fulfilling life has been a great discovery.
Moreover, this journey has grounded me in reality. While it’s wonderful to understand how God has wired me, I’ve learned that I must also respond to the opportunities in front of me. This process has empowered me to act upon my divine design in a way that is not just theoretical, but practically applicable in the real world.
Working 1:1 with clients and writing this weekly newsletter is a joy for me, and I’m so grateful to be welcomed into your inbox.
If you ever think that working together might be a good fit, we can schedule a free 30 minute call to explore that together. Just send me an email: info [at] claritylifeconsulting [dot] com.
I won’t promise to help you make a million dollars or become a famous pop star, but I can tell you that my clients see a real difference in their ordinary, day-to-day lives.
When I asked one client what she planned to do differently after our work together she said:
» Freely rest.
» Be attentive to what brings the most peace.
» Love and appreciate the uniqueness of my being and my specific gifts and talents.
» Be more aware of my inner critic and what is NOT God's voice.
» Be mindful to let God’s voice be the dominant voice in my brain.
If that kind of thing sounds good to you, why not reach out? I’d love to chat. Just send me an email: info [at] claritylifeconsulting [dot] com.
And I’d love to hear what kind of discernment process you’re in right now? What priorities are you sorting out? What gifts and talents are you learning how to use well? What kind of space are you making for God’s voice in your life? You can leave a comment below or just hit reply to this email.
I've thought about how you describe your work, and wonder if *some* of what people may be unwittingly seeking in therapy or counseling is in fact this sorting and sifting process of discernment. A lack of of tools for navigating our life choices can be a profound source of inner unrest and angst, even if it isn't named as such. I wonder how much resolution to this is unconsciously sought in therapy when something like what you offer is what may be needed (for *some* people). It sounds like there are similarities and overlap, even if they are obviously distinct practices. More a comment than a question. :)