When Gratitude Feels Like Bullshit

“Why do you always park over here?” He slammed the door as he got in the car. “What are you, stupid?” A while ago, I was living with a friend who had a 15-year-old boy; I’d often pick him up from school when she was working. I actually love this kid, so I took a…

Gratitude and depression

I was dreading Christmas that year, 2011. It wasn’t the first holiday I’d spend alone – it had been seven years since I’d been in a romantic relationship during the holidays, and more than twenty since I would fly back to my hometown. Not that family has to be romantic or genetic; when I lived…

Gratitude Month is Coming 2018

Daily Gratitude List:  Make a list of things/people/furry critters you are grateful for and share it to the Facebook ItW Gratitude group.  It really lightens the mood of your newsfeed! Each season, Into the Wilderness offers a spiritual challenge on Facebook. Join our mailing list for updates.  

Psalm 23 Intensive

7-7:30 am December 4 – 8, 2017   Into the Wilderness will hold a special online intensive meditation series focusing on Psalm 23 during the first week of advent. We know that Psalm 23 isn’t exactly an Advent psalm. We just like it a lot. So, join us on-line, each morning at 7 a.m. Pacific, by…

Advent Daily Text Prayer

Starting December 3, 2017 Stay in touch this Advent season through daily prayer.  Into the Wilderness, in partnership with the Congregational Church of San Mateo, will launch our daily Advent text prayer project on December 3, 2017. To receive a daily advent prayer via text, text JOIN to tel:(510) 256-3366.  

Gratitude Month is Back!

  Daily Gratitude List:  Make a list of things/people/furry critters you are grateful for and share it to the Facebook ItW Gratitude group.  It really lightens the mood of your newsfeed!

Psalm 2

Into the Wilderness started the Extreme Psalter last week; we’re reading and meditating on ALL 150 psalms. Join in anytime! I’m going to be blogging a bit about the psalms as we go – these thoughts will usually be pretty short, since we only meditate for five minutes. Psalm 2 is one of those psalms…

Get a daily prayer texted to you during advent

Daily Flash Advent Prayer: Stay in touch this Advent season through daily prayer. Each day of Advent receive a brief prayer, written by Rev. Penny Nixon texted to your phone  at some random time (between 7am-7pm Pacific time). Let the surprise of it be part of the mystery. Let prayer enter in at unexpected moments and…

New Spring Programming at Into the Wilderness

Online Morning Meditation:  Online Morning Meditation, MWF,  7:00 a.m. -7:30 am Pacific   Looking for a way to jump start your daily meditation practice?  Start your week with Meditation at 7:00 am Pacific, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  We log in, have an opening prayer, read some scripture, meditate for 5 minutes, and share a bit….

Daily Spiritual Challenge: Try Something New (March 27-May 14)

Each season (liturgical or actual season) Into the Wilderness hosts a different spiritual daily challenge on Facebook. During the Easter season (March 27-May 14) Into the Wilderness welcomes you to a practice of renewal and rebirth. Each day, try a new thing and post about it on our Easter Facebook group. Could be a new…

Lent is Coming: Into Vulnerability

I hate giving things up. I have zero willpower. Seriously, for me, immediate gratification takes too long. So, what to do with Lent, a season that I used to understand as a time to give something up? The gift of Lent for me is this: it is a time to give up something/take up something…