Flourishing Souls
For inner wholeness and deepening spirituality
... through Contemplative Prayer and Enneagram exploration.
Contemplative prayer practices open us up to God and create a union, an intimate closeness...
The Enneagram is for the inward journey to uncover our true self. Knowing this allows us to see what holds us back from being whole hearted with others (and ourselves)
Imagine loving God with all your heart, soul, mind & strength!
"To live fully awake to life is never to have regrets"
-Russ Hudson
The Enneagram brings us awareness of our habits, motivations, blind spots, and much more. It has deep spiritual aspects that free our hearts and minds to be present to ourselves and others: ALL of life.
Pairing this inner knowledge with Contemplative practices gives meaning and purpose to who we are, not just what we do.
And reveals whom God made us to be.
It affects our everyday, real life.
Are you ready to explore your true self? It is a journey, but remember Jesus said, "Perfect love casts out fear."
Knowing one self while using these open-hearted prayer practices with Love Itself is a beautiful way to live.
FLOURISHING SOULS
There are many approaches to the Enneagram. Flourishing Souls delves into the spiritual dimensions of this map of human consciousness. It illuminates why we do what we do and why we find change so difficult.
"Rather than putting us into a box, the Enneagram shows us how small or limited we have made our own box - and invites us to be our free, authentic self."
Are you being drawn to look deeper, open wider, and invite your soul to flourish in new and exciting ways?
Jill Schneider Smith
WHY I'M DOING WHAT I DO...
I have been a pastor in the United Methodist Church since 2000. I started Flourishing Souls in 2020 because I was seeking new ways to connect people to God in deeper and life-changing ways. A transformation of our spiritual walk that affirms God's great love for us and has a real effect on our lives in intuitive ways, body, mind, and soul.
I discovered the healing aspects of Contemplative Prayer forms while I was just beginning to explore the Enneagram (which teaches how to be emotionally healthy). I've learned it is a deeply spiritual system for self-awareness). Both Contemplative Prayer and the Enneagram brought me to an understanding of whom God created me to be and how much I am completely loved. Completely. It has also shown me what it meant to love myself, so I can love my neighbor. No sermon series ever did that!
This awareness also brought the wisdom of connecting my heart, body, and mind together. We are complex human beings, and it is possible to shut off our hearts, bodies, or minds - even while using them daily.
My personality kept me a safe distance from God and myself, all while looking very spiritual to the outside world. There comes a time in life when this facade must be faced, stripped away, and our real essence made known. This is always a journey, so growth, deepness, and expansive connection to the Spirit are continual throughout our lives.
I bring the practices of Contemplative Prayer with the Enneagram to you, to groups, and to the kingdom of God on earth. For together, they bring awareness, wholeness, and well-being of the soul that makes a difference in the world. Some call this Wholeheartedness.
* The Enneagram helps each of us see the unique gifts God has placed within us and windows to release the habits of personality that keep us locked into behaviors that keep us from following our dreams.
* Contemplative Prayer forms connect us to God in deep personal ways differently than corporate or petitionary prayer. Centering Prayer works with the wisdom of the Enneagram when it becomes a regular practice. It does this by creating new neuropathways in our brains even as it connects our hearts to the open, loving space where God waits for us to be present.
.... I find both incredibly helpful because you can't love God with your whole heart if you don't know your true, authentic self.
CONTACT
Jill Schneider Smith, MDiv. DMin.
@flourishingsoulsnc