Devotions from Henri Nouwen’s book, The Inner Voice of Love All of us have experienced pain in our lives and it is often linked to some of our early childhood experiences.  We are called to bring that pain home. For if the wounded parts of us remain foreign to our adult self, our pain will…

Devotions from Henri Nouwen’s book, The Inner Voice of  Love Sometimes we blame others for difficulties we experience in relationships but we can also end up blaming ourselves. .  But self-blame is not a form of humility, it is a form of self-rejection. It is a form in which we ignore or deny our own…

Devotions based on Henri Nouwen’s book, The Inner Voice of Love Each one of us must decide to whom we give access to our inner life. If we just allow others to walk in and out according to their needs and desires we may feel tired, irritated, resentful and used.  We might think of ourselves…

Devotions from Henri Nouwen’s book, The Inner Voice of Love Sometimes in our friendships we look for proof and concrete responses of their caring.  But when we really know we are loved by God, we can allow our friends the freedom to respond to our love in their way. They have their own histories and…

Devotions based on Henri Nouwen’s book, The Inner Voice of Love Today’s devotion is on friendship and the importance to seek friends to whom we can relate from our center, the place where we know we are deeply loved. Friendships happen when we accept ourselves as deeply loved and then are able to love others…

Devotions based on Henri Nouwen’s book, The Inner Voice of Love Within each of us there is a lamb and a lion. Our lion is our adult, aggressive self. It is our initiative-taking and decision-making self. But we also have a lamb in us which is the fearful, vulnerable part of us that needs affection,…

Devotions based on Henri Nouwen’s book, The Inner Voice of Love Just because we are Christians doesn’t mean we are free from temptations. We might have times we are so blessed and so in God that we forget we are still living in this world of powers and principalities. But we need protection lest we…

Devotions from Henri Nouwen’s book, The Inner Voice of Love, is about knowing that we are truly loved. Some people have had such oppressed lives that they need help to break free and to find their true selves. Sometimes they may need permission to explode: to let out their deepest emotions!  Henri discovered that the…

Devotions from Henri Nouwen’s book, The Inner Voice of Love Today’s devotion is on accepting our true identity as a child of God. Once we have settled in it, we can live in a world that gives us much joy as well as pain.  Our true identity that makes us free is anchored beyond all…

Devotions from Henri Nouwen’s book, The Inner Voice of Love Today’s devotional is on the unique presence we each have in our community.  Different people have different ways of being present to their community and it is important that we know and claim our way.  Once we have this inner knowledge, it will help us…