Word of Mouth
Personal Spiritual Direction: I began spiritual direction with Nancy after participating in a Sacred Quest, wilderness rite of passage. At the time, I was discerning some matters of major life significance: family, call, relationships. With that [wilderness] experience as a foundation, I continued spiritual direction with Nancy. Though those are areas that will be continuously evolving, changing, and requiring attention throughout my life, I am now on the other side of the specific questions I was discerning and have remained in spiritual direction with Nancy for further spiritual growth.
Some of what I find most valuable about spiritual direction, in general, and working with Nancy, specifically, is having an impartial yet very concerned and caring individual to reflect back both where I am now in my life and my spiritual journey as well as where I have been. Nancy will often remind me about things from my past, which I had forgotten. Signs of growth can be easily overlooked without a companion, someone outside the situation, to help us stop and recognize it. I find that the ability to notice the growth also enables and promotes further growth. Nancy encourages me to find where and how God is present in my life and helps to “pin” important landmarks on the map of the journey. I am convinced that spiritual direction has brought me to a healthier place spiritually, emotionally, and even physically. — Meghan, Pastor, Iowa
Group Spiritual Direction: I experienced Spiritual Direction with Nancy in a small group setting for 3 years. It brought balance to my life as a Christian. I let go of many ‘shoulds’ and learned to listen to the Holy Spirit instead of all of those voices from the past telling me how I should think about and relate to God. Nancy was very tuned in to the needs of the group. She was insightful to the timing for each of us, according to our individual processing. I am so grateful to have group spiritual direction at this transitional time in my life—‘empty nest’ and retirement. — Marta, Retired Staff, CA Teachers’ Association
Resilient Families: I have known Nancy for 15 years. I believe her to be one of the most insightful individuals I have ever known. She has an uncanny ability to connect the dots among the fragments of our incredibly busy lives in a way that brings wisdom, peace, reflection, and connectedness. I have watched her nurture her daughter, Erin, as a single parent with resiliency, wisdom, and intention. She brings all the insight of an impressive, academic background in spirituality and behavioral psychology and connects it to real life. I have been asking her for tools to help me navigate the ‘tween years and into junior high and high school with my twins. Simply put – she is amazing. — Nancy, Local Mother
These sessions on building resilience have made such a difference in my life. I used to yell and get really frustrated with my kids a lot. Before I learned these skills it never occurred to me that I had any other choice but getting upset with them. Now I know I have many choices. Things are so much better.
Working with Nancy has given me tools to recognize my own needs across various situations. When I see how my behavior is linked to those needs, I can change how I act (instead of react). I have also seen changes in how my children and I all act toward each other, all for the better. She has a really good way of explaining things that I can then use in my daily life. Every time we meet, I come away with good insights about myself and tools to use with the kids. Our household has become a much calmer place in the last few months, and I am grateful for the opportunity to benefit from Nancy’s experience and wisdom. — Gillian, Local Mother
Day Walk for Elders: The retreat that Nancy lead on Claiming our Elderhood was so amazing. Her preparatory journaling questions had opened our hearts and minds to the path she would lead us on during our days together. Her prayer exercises unfolded in such a way that we were led deeper and deeper into the mourning, healing, and joy that this portion of our lives can bring. Nancy has a deeply spiritual center that she uses to reflect back to us what she hears in such a way that we are able to clearly understand what we already know deep within ourselves. She helps us to see what God has imagined for us; each unique, each gifted, each beautiful. Another real gift that Nancy has is to bring all the threads of our reflections about ourselves together throughout the retreat so that we can notice things that we perhaps would not without her skillful guidance. — Melodee, S. California
I have known Nancy for many years and have had occasion to observe her as she has filled several roles both in the church and in academia.
I have heard Nancy preach well prepared sermons that were intellectually sound and were also emotionally moving in both large and small settings. I have heard her lecture in a college classroom where she challenged students to think and discuss in an interdisciplinary fashion about complex subjects. There were follow up writing assignments after a given time of assessment and perspective.
Nancy was very successful in each of these types of situations because her grasp of the subject matter and her methods and objectives were very clear and well executed.
However, I recently experienced Nancy at her most gifted. She led a three-day retreat for women desiring to explore their elder years. There was deep sharing among the group of 7 women as we spoke about meaningful times of mourning, healing and joy. There were extended times of quiet reflection alone among beautiful trees beside a mountain lake. There was great fellowship involved in meal preparation and eating, praying and worshipping together. But the crux of the retreat was experiencing Nancy’s skillful and sensitive spiritual listening and guidance of each individual as her story unfolded. It was moving beyond words to find yourself “seen” and “heard” in that way, in that depth and with such appreciation and total acceptance. I know that God loves us that way, and I’m so grateful to be given that gift here and now! Thank you, Nancy. — Elaine, S. California