Introducing myself

I am a certificate student at EDS and will complete my program this May. My focus is Christian Spirituality, and my hope is to walk with others on our spiritual journeys. I expect this might take the form of doing spiritual direction and teaching classes or leading retreats on spiritual topics.

I am retired from a career as a writer/communications consultant, primarily in the financial services industry. I'm married to Dave Seifert, and we live in Uxbridge, MA, which is about 50 miles southwest of Boston/Cambridge. I commute to campus via the commuter rail and the T, which takes me a bit less than three hours each way. Dave and I have a daughter, Jill; she and her husband have three children with another one expected in May. We moved to New England 4 1/2 years ago -- from the Kansas City metro area -- to be close to Jill and her family.

My spiritual practice includes weekly Eucharist services at our parish, which is Grace Episcopal Church in downtown Providence, RI (about 20 miles south of our home); twice-month centering prayer group at Grace Church; centering prayer on my own, once or twice week; meeting with my spiritual director every 1-2 months; EDS spiritual direction group twice a month with Katherine Stiles; and spiritual reading when I can fit it in with my studies. Two of my favorite writers are Joan Chittester and Esther de Waal. I also keep a spiritual journal, although I'm somewhat irregular about writing in it. I am an oblate (associate) of a Benedictine women's monastery (Roman Catholic) in Atchison, KS.

My expectation is that I will take from this class a deeper understanding and broader experience with different spiritual traditions and practices, as well as a greater appreciation for the ways in which spirituality intersects with other aspects of our lives. I hope to gain knowledge and develop skills that will help me become a better spiritual companion (and possibly teacher) to others on the spiritual path.