The days are passing quickly. Here in the States, Thanksgiving is around the corner. This feast makes me a little crazy as it is such a big undertaking. The delight of all the traditional recipes conflict with the desire to try new ones. Then the idea of making it simple and still making it a feast spins in my imagination.

Last year my daughter ordered a prepared turkey and fixings from the market. We are doing this again this year as it was good enough and took a lot of stress off of both of us. I will still make my yummy incomparable stuffing which is quite an undertaking. My grandchildren are learning to make pumpkin pie and apple crisp. 

But I still long for something new. I've been cooking for Thanksgiving for 50 years. 

I remember when I loved complex, Martha Stewart, feast-making, now I wonder what makes an elegant, efficient, joyful, and sufficient feast. Sometimes traditions can be a burden and start to lose joy and substance. 

I don’t look forward to feeling like a stuffed bird. However, I do like the left-overs. I even wrote a blog about leftovers which I will share with you next week when I will be offering more about Inner Advent.

What I am realizing is that I would rather have an Inner Thanksgiving, a few hours to feast on all that I am grateful for.  I would probably want to apply the Inner Christmas Journey threefold template: 

First, I would be grateful for all the things I have always been grateful for. Actually, just 3 things...quality over quantity. 

Second, I would go deep and be grateful for 3 things I have never been grateful for before. I’d surprise myself. 

Third, I would imagine 3 things I will experience in the coming year that will fill me with gratitude. 

Why haven’t I thought of this before???

The Inner Christmas Journey as a template for other times of our inner year is something to make use of.  The Inner Christmas Journey has calmed, deepened, and enriched my experience of everything related to this season. It’s a blessing. So why not bring this sacred process into other seasons and festivals?

Tomorrow's email will be ...

Tomorrow I will share with you a few powerful distinctions. I realized I needed to understand the differences between a spiritual goal, a spiritual practice, a spiritual journey, and a spiritual quest. Having contemplated the differences has given me a much clearer understanding of my own process of spiritual development. I am sure you will find more clarity, too.

Registration for the Inner Christmas Journey will open on Monday, November 13. 

I had planned on opening it on Sunday, November 12^th, but I will be giving a free webinar on the Four Imaginations of the Afterlife on Sunday and I want to stay focused on that task. Here’s the link if you want to register for the webinar.