A comment often heard in our groups – “This is the only situation where I can talk about some of the important issues in my life, and feel the support of others.”

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My name is Sybil, and I live in Flagstaff, Arizona. The Pandemic year brought considerable change to my busy life as well as an opportunity, a special gift, to engage with my church through the offering of a Spiritual Growth Group on Sunday mornings via Zoom.  The plan was to meet for 8 Sundays using the Choose Joy tasks starting in April 2020.  I saw the invite and was drawn to the opportunity to reconnect.  I was ready.  I was a bit apprehensive and knew I could bail out after 8 weeks.  Here we are nearing the end of January, 2022 and I’ve hardly missed a session since the beginning.  Each Choose Joy task was a special way to talk about the how of living life.  My connection with the women in the online meeting has been very special to me as we share our stories through the work of the tasks.  I was hooked on the shared experience for an hour and a half each Sunday as we focused on Choose Joy tasks, books, Frank Rose’s final weeks of special work on dying and whatever else finds a way to keep meaning and focus of the group.  We find a special place each week to share what brings us joy and what pains us in the world.  Each of the task card assignments is yet another opportunity to look at how we are in the world and if there are changes to be made.  For me, this is the gift of coming home to spirituality through interactions with other women in my church.  For most on the calls, our bond through the teachings of the church is recognizable in how we look at the world and our work in the world.  I feel like I am home.  I have new models of how others transverse the path.

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