It ended up being my most successful Note in months, and not because of why you (or even I!) would think.

All of its comments and engagement were attributed to the mere mention of Martha Stewart. Huh. I actually did my eighth grade book report on why Martha Stewart wouldn’t have been convicted if she were a man(!) but other than that and seeing her online every now and again, I really haven’t given her much thought.

I am very glad I had the nudge to change that, because after being encouraged to watch her documentary on Netflix, I was enthralled to see that as her life and accomplishments thus far were summed up, the overall message is one that’s deeply rooted in surrender.

Let’s dive in.

It was a pretty good documentary. “Martha” has all the components of a celebrity memoir-style documentary you’d want: drama, intrigue, and a fair bit of juicy name dropping 🫖

I had about 6 minutes left to go. I was glad I spent the time to watch it, because all she has accomplished—and being completely self-made!! I think we all have a tendency to forget that a present-day billionaire could have possibly grown up with below-average means and an emotionally questionable/abusive father—is truly impressive. As the final minutes of the doc streamed on, the producers asked Martha Stewart to look back on her life and reflect.

The documentary paints Martha as a fairly controlling perfectionist for the majority of her life. She modeled, went to college, became a wife, a mother, a successful Wall Street stockbroker, and a built a catering empire all before Martha Stewart became Martha Stewart. It was when she wrote “Entertaining” in 1982 that she really became a household name.

During and before her ascent to (at one point after taking her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia public) America’s first self-made female billionaire, she was in control of everything. Her image, her deals, her finances, her appearances, her staff, her public perception…everything.

But when she was accused of insider trading, and ultimately tried and convicted, she could no longer control the things around her. Her future, her very life were in someone else’s hands.

After being released, it would have been easy to become bitter. Vengeful. To dig in her heels of perfectionism. To become so consumed by a need for control that it swallowed the rest of her life up whole.

But that’s not what happened. That’s not what was shared at the end of her documentary.

Instead, she reflected on how the most extraordinary parts of her story — the comeback, the cultural relevance, the second act — were only possible once she stopped trying to control everything, after being forced to. Being sent away to prison takes almost every measure of control a person of her stature may have clung to. At that point, she didn’t have a choice to surrender.

What I took away from this was simple but profound: by loosening her grip — on her business, her image, her circumstances — she made space for reinvention. By surrendering to what was, instead of obsessing over what should have been, she stepped into an even bigger chapter.

And that is such a deeply faithful posture. Because surrender is not passive. It is not weak. It is not a lack of ambition.

It is trust.

It is believing that even when the narrative spins out of your control, something larger is still at work.

If someone like Martha Stewart — whose brand was built on precision, polish, and perfection — can admit that her greatest growth came from accepting what she couldn’t control, what might that mean for the rest of us?

How much energy are we spending gripping tightly to outcomes? To timelines? To how we think our lives should look by now?

Faith, at its core, asks us to participate fully…and then release the rest.

To show up. To work diligently. To care deeply. And then to unclench.

Maybe your “surrender” doesn’t look like a public downfall and a cultural comeback. Maybe it looks like:

• Letting go of the need to micromanage how someone perceives you.

• Releasing the timeline you set for your career.

• Trusting that a closed door is protection, not punishment.

Surrender is not giving up.
It’s handing over what was never yours to carry alone.

And if Martha’s story shows us anything, it’s that sometimes the most iconic chapters are written only after we loosen our grip.

5 Ways to Surrender a Little Control TODAY

1. 1. Send the email — then stop rereading it.
   No extra edits. No second-guessing. Hit send and release it.

   2. Leave one text unanswered for an hour.
   Not to ignore — just to prove you don’t have to respond instantly to stay in control.

   3. Choose one small imperfection on purpose.
   Post the photo that isn’t perfectly curated. Serve the slightly messy dinner. Let it be enough.

   4. Cancel one unnecessary self-imposed deadline.
   That timeline you created? You’re allowed to soften it.

   5. End tonight by writing one sentence:
   “I release ______.”
   Fill in the blank. Close the notebook. Let that be the final word.

There is so much freedom on the other side of surrender.
And perhaps, just perhaps, your most beautiful chapter is waiting there. 💫

Lucky for us, we have the chance to make a ritual of it at least twice (if not three or four or more times!) every single day.

I hope you’ll feel inspired to give it a try for yourself, and see what may unfold in your mindset and your faith 💕

Last weekend, my fianceé and I went over to our friends’ house for a delicious dinner. Everything we ate, from the appetizers to the main course to the dessert we had contributed, was homemade. Our two hours of grazing and eating came to fruition after a dozen or more hours of planning, prepping, cooking, and baking.

With enormous amounts of care and love—plus a fair bit of time—that was put into every dish, it seemed somehow ill-fitting to simply pile all the serveware on the table, take our seats, and dig in. So when our hosts, who know that my fiancé and I aren’t traditionally religious, glanced around before serving, there was an unpressured question in their eyes.

That question became known when our friends asked if they could say grace with us before eating. While we do have different ways of observing our faith, it’s worth remembering that pausing before breaking bread and sharing communal gratitude can be universal, if we allow it to be.

Putting aside whichever version of a deity you choose to have faith in, putting aside whatever term you use for that greater power, there is something lovely about giving thanks before a meal.

After all, the food you eat and the drinks you imbibe are what ultimately enable you to keep living. There’s also a strong correlation between what you eat and how you are able to live.

Why not pause to remember that the divine force has played a part in your meal making its way to you? Why not pause to recognize that what you’re about to eat will, quite literally, enable you to go on living?

I have been trying to make this a ritual lately. Before every single bite of new food, whether a meal or a snack or a beverage, saying a (silent or audible—start however you’d like to) sentiment of gratitude. But I’ll be totally honest, I have trouble remembering in the moment.

So, I’m continuing to challenge myself to take my own advice. I hope you’ll be inspired to give it a try, too.

With much love and gratitude,

I watched the Polar Express this past week with my fiancé and was instantly transported back to my ecstatic, whole-hearted belief in Santa as a little girl.

Enjoy!

Do you believe in Santa Claus?

Seriously!

The jolly, long-white-bearded man who climbs down your chimney on Christmas Eve, eats your cookies and drinks your milk, and leaves behind presents to your heart’s delight under the tree?

For most of us, belief in Santa doesn’t disappear in a single moment — it fades through a series of realizations that we may or may not have been seeking.

How old were you when you stopped believing? Was it discovering that the boot marks near your tree were actually from your dad’s old Timberlands? Was it seeing your mom’s fingertips stained the exact color of the icing on your cookies after you woke up on Christmas morning? Or just maybe, you listened to the kids at school in the grade above you telling you that believing in Santa was for little kids… as if that’s an insult.

I’m here to tell you that believing in Santa Claus need not only be for children. Stay with me here… this isn’t really about Santa—it’s about belief itself.

Why is believing in Santa not only for children, you might ask? Well because this holiday season, I’m asserting that believing in an intangible, entirely benevolent force much greater than us who spreads happiness and cheer really doesn’t need to be all that different than believing in God.

There’s a reason Santa Claus has its roots in Sainthood. Ever heard of Saint Nicholas, aka the 4th-century Christian bishop? Santa isn’t the only larger-than-life force of generosity and love out there. The divine has a similar ethos. And who said Christmas spirit and the spirit of Santa Claus can’t be just as alive and well any darn time of the year as it is during Christmastime?

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It’s a similar mechanism in our hearts that has the capacity to believe in God and to believe in Santa. We’ll never see God “in person” after all. (At least, not in this earthly lifetime!) We’ll see his acts of love and kindness. We’ll experience him smiling upon us, during moments of gorgeous co-creation and of utter, beautiful humanity.

But the divine is a force which can’t be contained in one physical space or body. The spiritual and the religious among us believe God is here, with us, guiding us on our journeys. But we’ll never come face-to-face with it. And yet, we still believe. Sometimes even very deeply, if we’re inclined.

So if we’re capable of having a strong faith in a force we’ll never literally encounter with our own eyes, why wouldn’t we believe in the spirit of Santa Claus, too? After all, Santa supposedly leaves behind physical tokens of his presence—how more realistic can we get?

Yeah yeah, I get it. I’m not asserting that we should all literally go around believing that a bearded man commits breaking & entering, eats our uncovered food and escapes by climbing up the fireplace, all the while assisted by a team of tiny, magical felons.

Is it any more absurd to believe in the spirit of Santa Claus than it is to believe in the divine?

The next time you think about society’s assertion that Santa is for little kids, take a pause. Take a breath. Wish them well. And be grateful that you have the capacity to believe in a big, benevolent force out there whose sole purpose is to spread cheer. We could all use a little more cheer, a little more Santa Claus.

And while you’re at it, challenge yourself to perform some small act that will make someone’s day—especially in a season that already invites a little extra light and warmth towards others. You’ll be surprised how much it makes yours, too.

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Thank you so much for being here this week 💌 I’ll be taking a nice rest these next two weeks, and will be back in your inboxes on January 2nd.

One of my goals for 2026 is to grow this community and help more people find a way to incorporate faith as an act of self-care. So if you enjoy my work, I have a favor to ask…

Please consider sharing Modern Faith with someone you think it could help. Maybe my writing would inspire them to deepen their spiritual practice, find a gentle invitation to believe in a force greater than themselves, or simply be a bright spot to read each Friday.

I appreciate it, and you very much! Wishing you a beautiful Christmas and happy new year—see you in 2026!

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I figured most of us would have a cyclone of emails hitting our inboxes on Black Friday. Keeping mine even close to tidy quickly became a part-time job, and I had a feeling you might’ve felt the same. So I thought: why add to the storm?

If you took the extraordinary step of unsubscribing to no-longer-relevant brands in advance of the day, I commend you! Hopefully you had a calm, curated inbox throughout the post-Thanksgiving weekend.

2025 Reflection Guide: A Free Download

Now that we have a bit of an interlude between the hectic festivity of Thanksgiving and the glittering whirl called Christmas, I’ll be diving into my 2025 reflections. Every year, I spend a good bit of time thinking about how the time contributed towards my journey.

I believe wholeheartedly in the power of journaling and introspection. I find it incredibly rewarding to not only practice reflection in the moment, but also to have the opportunity to review one’s musings and thoughts during a particular time.

When you journal your reflections, you create a little time capsule—one you can return to and instantly remember who you were in that season: what you dreamed of, what you feared, when you honored your own courage. It’s a delightful way to romanticize your own evolution.

Pro-tip: (and yes, having journaled consistently since middle school I take pride in calling myself a pro!) When you sit down to reflect, give yourself a little ritual to settle in. I might light a candle or turn on my diffuser, make a fresh cup of tea and pour in a splash of milk, slip into some extra-cozy socks, or purposefully close my laptop and put my phone facedown in a different room. It helps your mind settle into peace, and your heart feel extra expressive.

That being said, I spent some time developing a 1-page pocket guide designed to make reflection feel grounding, clarifying, and full of self-appreciation. It’s intentionally simple—something you can bullet point during a quick 10 minutes, or stretch into a full day’s ritual.

If you’ve been thinking of luxuriating in a yearly reflection, this is your sign 📝

DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE

With Christmas less than three weeks away and a brand new year a mere stone’s throw from that, I’ve been feeling all the more reflective lately. Reflective on how the year has gone—my milestones, triumphs and happiest moments, times of necessary growth and difficulty, and the version of myself who lived during 2025.

My faith in God and the divine has bloomed this year in a big way. Feeling more connected than ever to this force has given me more confidence, assurance, and most of all, peace.

It’s popular to pick a word to define one’s year by, and I feel strongly that peace was mine to explore—to dance with, to romance, and to live with throughout 2025.

This was the year I got engaged to a man I spent years asking God to introduce me to, and it happened in the very definition of divine timing.

This was the year my sister and I traveled with my parents to Europe for their bucket-list vacation: a Rhine river cruise. We made memories that will stick with me for many years and even decades ahead.

This was the year I finally let go of the version of myself who had convinced herself since age 19 to become a Chief Marketing Officer in corporate America, and gave myself permission to make peace with my new passions, authentic values, and to create a whole new roadmap for my life—even if it’s not even close to being fully fleshed out.

This was the year I decided to not only indulge my creative side, but embrace it and give myself a platform to share the essence of my faith and perspectives with others in the hopes of helping people who crave a new, entirely personal relationship with the divine. I’m so grateful you’re here 💕

God has truly played a central role in bringing me closer to peace throughout the year. I’ve prayed for peace, yes, but more importantly, I’ve prayed for the things that will bring me peace to be revealed. To be noticeable. For the presence that allows me to notice. To witness. I’ve prayed for help opening my ears and eyes, for guidance and for presence.

Having faith does not equal a “that was easy” button. It is not a life hack. Like anything meaningful and worthwhile, it’s a process. You get out what you put in. The more you welcome opportunities for growth, for connection, for personal evolution, the more easily they’ll come. And the more the results will lead you to your highest, most loving self.

Rarely have the final answers jumped out at me, if ever. The divine is not a fortune teller, accepting payment or barter to reveal the complete roadmap of our journeys. The divine force will send signs though, if you ask for them. And often even if you don’t.

Having the humility to work with the divine, accepting that we don’t have all the answers ourselves, and that we can’t always “make it happen” has brought more peace and co-creation than I’d ever imagined possible.

I would truly LOVE to hear if you used the guide to do any end-of-year reflecting, and how it went for you! 📝

Please don’t be shy! Let me know what you thought of this download to jump-start your 2025 reflection & introspection.

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This week has felt especially aligned and fruitful. I’ve had the immense privilege of a very cozy last weekend where I dove into ’ new book, “How to Manifest.”

I also took the day off on Wednesday and sat at the sweetest French-inspired cafe - fully decked out for Christmas! 😍 - where I used many of the journal prompts included in the book to get clarity on the things I truly desire in life.

With my recent interest in manifestation, so came a curiosity about how manifestation and prayer can (or cannot??) coexist. How does manifestation connect to faith? Does it contradict faith? Are manifestation and prayer the same thing with different labels? Can I truly say that I have faith in God if I pray as well as practice manifesting?

Reading “How to Manifest” has turned out to not only be a truly spectacular guide, but also a wonderful prompt to explore this dynamic.

I hope that by reading this week’s work, you feel a sense of possibility and wonder to co-create with the divine, in whatever form calls out to you.

xx Sarah

In all honesty, when I was just beginning my faith journey a few years ago and resources like To Be Magnetic™ (Lacy’s manifestation membership platform) were just shy of mainstream, I used to think that prayer and manifestation were conflicting practices.

I thought: prayer is for religious people who believe in God, manifestation is for spiritual people who believe in the power of the universe.

I didn’t categorize myself as either back then, so I had no idea who or what I could call upon to ask for help. It sucked, in all honesty. Was I betraying the progress I’d made by crawling back to the God of my catholic childhood by “praying”?? Was I really open-minded enough to join the spiritual tribe of the world by “manifesting”??

On one hand, prayer has obvious religious intonations. “Praying” makes you think of a fairly specific type of God, one who may—or may not—grant your prayers depending on the frequency and severity with which you sin.

But manifestation, in all its new-age glory, welcomes everyone. Manifesting has no barrier to entry. Manifestation, as taught by Lacy’s work, is a structured system of internal and external work that literally rewires your brain so you can become magnetic to the things you desire.

I bet you can guess which one I’d choose!

As I’ve explored spirituality and become more open-minded, I’ve been manifestation-curious but haven’t really taken the plunge and done a deep dive. I’ve evolved my relationship with God to believe that he wants me (and all of us) to use whatever techniques and tools may call to us in order to craft our most thriving, authentic, and love-filled lives.

I’ve explored the idea of manifestation mostly through the To Be Magnetic™ podcast over the last year. But now having ordered and read the book, I can say it’s been one of the most powerful purchases of 2025 for me. Talk about a divine sign!

I’ve learned much more about the spiritual and faith-based components of manifesting than I expected to. Plus, for those among us who love journaling, there are lots of prompts in the book to guide you through the journey in a formatted way, which you already know resonated with me!

As I’ve thought more about prayer in a traditional sense, I’ve realized it doesn’t need to be a transaction leveraged against your ‘bank account of sins.’ Prayer can be a casual chat. It can be a walk-and-talk with the big guy (or gal). It can be a hands-clasped, kneeling-in-church conversation—but it doesn’t have to be.

Prayer and manifestation can blend and coexist. They don’t have to be mutually exclusive, binary practices that necessitate separatism.

Both rely on faith and trust in something greater—whatever that uniquely looks like to you. They both ask you to believe you’re supported, guided, and held by a force that wants the best for you. Whether you picture that support as God, the divine, the universe, or some fun cosmic cocktail of all of the above — the point is the relationship, not the label.

Both practices invite you to soften into the idea that you don’t have to do this life alone. They’re reminders that you’re allowed to hope, to ask, to co-create, and to trust that what you feel called toward is not random, but divinely guided.

Like all things I’ve discovered lately when it comes to faith and spirituality, they can dance and intermingle throughout any aspect of our lives we invite them into.

Even this journey of finding the courage to start writing has shown me that when it comes to belief, nothing has to be one-or-the-other, this-way-or-the-highway energy.

I choose to believe that prayer and manifestation are two sides of the same coin, and I hope you will too.

The next time you sense a strong desire for something that’s out of your immediate control, try on both prayer and manifestation for size, and see which one resonates.

Here’s to letting prayer and manifestation be the self-care tools that help support the life we’re calling in 💫

If you’re unfamiliar with To Be Magnetic™ or Lacy Phillips’ work, I’d recommend checking out the “Expanded by To Be Magnetic™” podcast or ordering a copy of “How to Manifest” - you won’t be disappointed!

Have a beautiful weekend ahead.

It truly is almost winter.

We really did get snow flurries a few days ago.

There are, in fact, less than two weeks until Thanksgiving.

Hark! Don thy gloves and scarf on thy morning walk.

We are nearing closer to the end of 2025 and the beginning of our next chapter.

With this seasonal shift top of mind, I’ve felt very reflective lately. Marking one season or chapter by reflecting on how it made us feel, what we noticed, what we experienced, gives shape to it. It also helps usher in a new one.

This December, I’ll be continuing my tradition of taking two days off from my 9-5 to sit in coffee shops, nibble on pastries, enjoy ambient winter jazz and revel in the vibes as I reflect on the year that came before. ☕️ 🥐 ✨

I’m contemplating how best to reflect on my growth, proudest moments, biggest excitements, learnings and yes, the inevitable pitfalls.

If you know me, you know I adore a list. So rest assured, there will be a comprehensive list(s) of how I’ll go about this reflection, prompts to guide me, reminders of how I documented my year and how I can use them to grow.

This brings me to a question — would a guide for having a meaningful year-end reflection be of interest to you?

I’m out here spending hours and hours, combing through my brain and sources I think of, all in the name of:

• Remembering what went well and what didn’t

• Reliving the pride I felt during times of growth and the learnings I gained from moments of frustration

• Enriching my inner life

• Setting myself up for the best year of my life thus far in 2026

If I packaged it all up before December and put it out there as an early Christmas present, would this be something of value to you??🎁

I’d love nothing more than to pique your interest in self reflection and share the work I’ve been doing to help save you time as you remember, contemplate, and envision all your thriving energy for 2026!

Message me, or let me know in the comments 💚

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Without further ado, this week I’m really excited to share the overall tenets of my modern faith & spirituality practice. I’ve been thinking about these ever since I launched Modern Faith — it’ll be three months this Sunday!

I believe there’s some version of spirituality and/or faith for everyone, because the divine is already within us all. I believe we all come from the same place, and that a force far greater than any of us, greater than even humanity as a whole, connects us all.

1. The divine doesn’t care what name you use.

Call it Source, the universe, God, the powers that be—or heck, call it Patricia if that’s what makes you feel closest to it. The energy that created galaxies and put seven octillion atoms (that’s a f*ckton of atoms for the math nerds among us) in our earthly bodies does not care what you call it.

2. You don’t need religion to have a relationship with the divine.

Your connection to God is yours alone. It’s personal, as gentle and supportive as you need it to be, and doesn’t require a middleman.

3. Knowing yourself is how you know the divine.

You don’t have to search outside yourself to find God. The deeper you explore your relationship with yourself—your intuition, your desires, your truth, what makes you you—the deeper your relationship with the divine becomes. Knowing yourself is knowing God, because that spark of divine creation is a part of you.

4. Caring for your mind, body and spirit is a sacred act.

Tending to your body, your rest, your peace, your joy—these are not separate from spirituality. They are spirituality. The divine works with you and through you most easily when your body and soul are cared for in return.

You heard it here, ladies and gents…SELF CARE IS A SPIRITUAL ACT.

• That screen-free walk outside where you feel your brain go gorgeously blank for a couple minutes?

• That hot cup of tea with a little splash of your fav milk that somehow calms your whole nervous system?

• That new moisturizer that makes your skin look like you slept for 9.5 hours?

All acts of self care that bring you closer to the divine within you and the divine outside you!

The God I believe in does not require concessions or deprivation in order to share and accept love from you. This divine force helps you to thrive in every way. ✨

5. The divine is an entirely benevolent force.

Source is love in its purest form—steadying, forgiving, and unconditionally on your side. It doesn’t withhold love or tally mistakes. It is pure, unadulterated benevolence.

While the divine may:

• Send difficult hardships

• Close doors before you’re ready

• Force interactions with people you’d rather not

These can serve as opportunities for growth, to develop empathy, to become the most loving and elevated YOU you can be here on earth.

The divine’s only intention is to guide us on our journeys. As gently, or at times as loudly as we need.

Having gone from ‘no interest at all’ to ‘mild tolerance’ of sports games after settling in with my fiancé last winter, his interest (thankfully not obsession!) in football had rubbed off on me ever so slightly. So, when we watched the Super Bowl together this past February, I was surprised to have developed a fair-weather temperance for it. The snacks didn’t hurt either.

As I walked between rooms this past Sunday and caught some scenes (plays??) from the Cincinnati Bengals vs. NY Jets game, I was just in time for the post-game coverage. Apparently it had been quite the finale, with the Jets winning by just one measly point in the final moments.

But that measly point was everything for the Jets. I’d learned from my incredulous fiancé that they hadn’t won a single game all season. Reader, even I could gather that a 0-7 record is not an opportune beginning to a sports season.

I saw one of the Jets players being interviewed on the field right after his team’s victory. Jets quarterback Justin Fields was essentially asked, “how did you do it?” He reflected quietly for a moment, and then touched my heart in his response.

God is good. That’s all I got to say.

Justin Fields

I thought… what a freaking lovely message to share after losing seven games in a row, when livelihoods, reputations, and scorecards are on the line — to share that you owe your earthly success from this first season victory to God.

He continued by revealing the three things he told his team before the game that day: belief, focus, and playing free by having fun out there. What more would we ever need to strive for when we know that God and the divine are always in our corner?

What I took away from his interview was: when you have faith that God is going to come through for you, the day-to-day wins and losses start to matter a lot less. Having faith that God will provide the exact right outcome at the exact right time is what powers us through feeling down and out.

Think about something that recently got you a little down. Maybe your morning journaling practice hasn’t been hitting the way it used to. Maybe you’ve felt disconnected from your usual sense of peace, no matter how many walks or salads you squeeze in. Or maybe your painstakingly crafted, gorgeous matcha latte ended up seeping into your passenger seat’s floor mat after a rushed stop at a red light 😑

Now think about how your life could change if you had faith that what’s meant for you is already on its way. How it’s going to reach you at the most divine time it possibly can. Would your outlook shift? Would your patience stretch? Would any tension you have slowly, quietly settle into peace?

Peace isn’t something that comes easily. It’s not something that comes naturally, even. But it is something that comes freely. Peace — the feeling of cozy, gorgeous settling within your heart, and your head, and your gut — is yours to feel. To have. To cherish and to nurture. To come back to when things feel out of sorts. When you feel out of sorts.

How would you shift your perspective on the place you live, the job you have, the level of income and material goods at your disposal, the very air you breathe if you know what the divine has planned for you is even better than you could have imagined? If you know that everything you need to become the most peaceful, loving, and personally successful version of yourself is already coming?

These day-to-day circumstances ultimately define the texture of our lives. If you had faith that you could “give it up to God,” as Justin said later in his interview, I think you’d make absolute magic.

Frankly, I think we all would.

And maybe that’s the real win — learning to stop forcing what’s meant to unfold naturally. To show up, do your part, and let faith do the rest. Because when you play with trust instead of fear, when you loosen your grip and give it up to God, that’s when you realize you were never meant to call every play — only to give it your all, and let the divine handle the scoreboard.

Thanks so much for checking out Modern Faith this week! If you liked this post, I think you’d like my previous post about how the divine has a plan for each and every one of us - a great big beautiful plan.

This is the message the yoga instructor, Ashley, delivered as my class took its sacred rest. How freaking powerful is that?!! Truth be told it hit me right in the heart, in the very best way.

As a yoga practice comes to a close, it’s customary for the yogi to finish with Savasana, which roughly means “corpse pose” at the end of class. This allows the yogi a period of physical and mental restoration.

As I lay there, palms facing up to receive blessings from the universe, I felt peace. I felt connected to the divine. Connected to the other souls in that room. I’d worked my body quite a bit for those fifty-five minutes. I’d also connected my soul — my essence — to my physical form. I felt each and every muscle, ligament, and cell light up to perform a symphony of movement. And now, I could revel in that connection.

During a yoga class, the instructor will remind their students to move with respect to their breath. They’ll say things like, “move with your breath” and “allow the breath to carry you.”

Without trying to pass myself off as an expert yogi by any means, I’ve observed in the 100+ yoga classes I’ve attended at various studios that the breath — your breath and my breath — is tantamount to the divine life force entering and exiting our bodies, with each inhale and exhale.

And isn’t it exactly that - our breath - that allows us to continue living in each moment? To continue our conscious and unconscious body’s processes? To continue seeing, feeling, and loving? To continue being?

When we breathe with intention, we welcome the divine force of life into our bodies and our minds. When we’re present with our breath, we remember that the universe conspired to enact every circumstance, every relationship, and every iota of cosmic balance to bring us into divine existence. These forces work tirelessly to support our souls and our bodies perfectly.

When we bring the life force into our bodies with thought and care, we pay homage to our creator and to all the forces that conspired to create us.

I like that word conspire. Conspire is when forces come together in cahoots, in a unique set of circumstances to ensure their efforts result in their exact intention. I think conspire gets a bad rap. But picture this: God, the universe, the divine, our source, and all the stars in all the solar systems in all the galaxies coming together to make exquisite YOU. Exquisite ME.

With every moment of movement, every bite we take, every balm to the soul we seek out, we are living in service to God. We are living in respect to God’s divine plan for our souls, and these beautiful, perfect bodies he created just for us.

When I asked Ashley, my yoga instructor who led my practice and really inspired this post, where she got the inspiration for her monologue at the end of class, she said that much of it came from a book she was reading. She shared that she just wanted to infuse a bit of positivity into her class’s evenings, and that even if one person took what she said to heart then maybe they’d share it with someone, and so on and so forth, creating a ripple effect of positivity.

I beamed as she shared this because it truly felt like an act of conspiracy. Creating a ripple effect was (and is!) exactly what I intended to do.

She was elated and flattered when I asked her if she wouldn’t mind me including it in my upcoming Substack post, and immediately asked what it was called so she could subscribe. I absolutely love that she set her intention to create a positive ripple effect, and not only did she do just that, she also learned about the ripple right away!

Sometimes, even with the best of intentions, we never learn whether it had a tangible effect. But, Ashley shared positivity with love and care behind it, and I’m choosing to pass on those good vibrations in my own life, right here.

I hope you’re inspired to choose the same today.

Thank you so much for being here. I’m immensely grateful to be able to pass on some positivity to a wonderful group of people.

I was inspired to write this story because it left me with - I’m not kidding - a divine, electric current running through my veins. I felt so called to share this story in the hope of inspiring this community, that I sat down to begin writing as soon as this all transpired - completely ignoring the slew of admin and responsibilities I’d planned on attending to!

I wrote more than seven hundred and fifty words in less than 45 minutes, something that usually takes me (a very enjoyable) 2+ hours! So, I hope you’ll enjoy my story and take inspiration from how you can call upon the divine to help you find a match for every one of your desires.

I had been hunting for a chair. Not just any chair - a reading chair. A comfortable, plush, homey, beautiful reading chair that I could return to day after day in a cozy nook in my home. Having read twenty-five books so far this year, I am a voracious reader of hard copy books, and I deserve a comfortable, serene, joy-inducing place to indulge one of my longest-held passions.

This chair would replace my current reading chair, which no longer sparks joy for me. So, I’ve perused Pinterest, funneled through furniture stores, selected countless “saved items” on Facebook Marketplace in the hopes of finding the perfect chair at a tolerable price.

During these multiple weeks, I’d still been using my current reading chair. My hunt for the perfect one had gone so unrequited, it was causing me actual stress and consternation.

Have you ever felt like that? Where you desire something you know is mundane, you know is a bit superfluous, you know is something that should be causing you no stress at all what with far greater and more pressing issues for you to solve? But you still just want it. And why shouldn’t you? We all deserve to be surrounded by things, experiences, and people that bring us happiness and peace.

Then one morning on my drive to work, I listened to a podcast titled, “This is How The Law of Attraction ACTUALLY Works!” Reader, this podcast spoke to me. The guest was a woman named Rhonda Byrne, who created The Secret documentary and book — both of which I plan to watch/read. During this episode, Rhonda reminded me that there is no desire without an equal fulfillment already in existence. How the universe abhors a vacuum, how it actively works to fill the empty space created by one of our desires.

I felt so energized by this that I felt called to share it. The next day I was on the phone with my mother-in-law to-be, and we were chatting about something she wanted. I shared how the law of attraction could apply to her desire, and how when you want something, you’ve got to have faith that it’s already on its way to you. And how you’ve got to make space for it, because your new desire won’t fit in your life (sometimes literally, like my reading chair) if you don’t make room for it.

And that conversation made me want to take my own advice.

So, I committed right there that that very evening, I would list my current reading chair on Facebook Marketplace and visualize the literal hole it would leave in my room. Because that hole meant a new, better chair that brought me joy and was exactly what I was looking for was on its way to me.

I came home from work, took the photos, got the measurements, and uploaded the listing. After doing so, just to refresh my memory, I scrolled through the list of saved chairs I had on Marketplace. At the very bottom, I saw one that actually seemed exactly like what I’d been browsing the fancy furniture websites for, and was even from a brand I love.

I thought, there’s no way it’s that easy….. but, my consciousness - my oneness with the divine, a oneness I believe every single one of us has access to - already knew.

Now, reader, I had very particular attributes in mind for my perfect chair. I messaged the seller to see what the dimensions were, if there were any stains, even how bouncy the seat was. She answered right away to every increasingly anal question (a rarity on Marketplace in my experience!).

Each progressive answer was exactly what I was hoping to hear, and each answer made me feel like I was actively co-creating with the divine’s wish for me to have every one of my desires met. I felt cosmic, divine butterflies.

I felt so right, so good about this purchase - for a small fraction of what a new chair would have cost, mind you - that I confidently set up time for my fiancé and me to go pick it up.

And what’s funny is, I hesitated for a moment about confirming I’d come to purchase it. Should I ask her to let me test it out first before I agree to buy it on the spot? But then, I laughed at myself. What madness!

Because of course this chair is going to be perfect for me! Of course it is! God hand-selected this chair for me, he arranged for every desire I had of it to be met. The exquisite scene from The Devil Wears Prada came to mind…

This…stuff? These…chairs? Oh, I see. You go to your closet (Pottery Barn) and you search for that…wildly expensive, trendy, boring chair because you’re trying to convince yourself that you know better than me, better than God, the most ideal version of the desire you seek.

But what you don’t know is that I have a chair for you already picked out; it’s not expensive, it’s not bulky. It’s actually cerulean (just kidding, it’s cream). It’s actually well within your price range; it’s actually the perfect color for your space. And you’re so blithely unaware of the fact that there’s no need to look any further. The perfect chair you desire has trickled through eight different layers to make its way to you. You’ve spent millions of moments and countless wishes for this chair.

It’s sort of comical that you thought you could do it all alone or that you knew better than the divine in a way that exempts you from the universe’s benevolent might, when in reality I’ve been working behind the scenes to select a perfect chair for you, for your room.

From a pile of stuff.

Have you ever met a romantic partner right after leaving behind a hobby that’s only meant for one, moving into an apartment in the neighborhood you want to meet someone, or buying a king size bed? It’s because you created an empty space in your life that god was more than happy - eager, even! - to fill for you.

You released a beautiful prayer into the universe, quite possibly without even knowing it. And when you have faith, your prayers are answered.

I have faith that god has a solution to every problem the moment the problem is created. I have faith that there is no desire without an equal fulfillment. I have faith that everything I want and need will come to me. I know it will.

For those who may not know, I write about spirituality, and having faith that we are all being guided by a benevolent, forgiving, all-loving divine presence. I believe this divinity helps us unlock the most loving, thriving versions of ourselves possible.

Thank you for stopping by!

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Last week, I wrote that our eternal souls are subjected to this layover on earth. That’s the word I used - subjected. Here, they encounter suffering, questioning, tumult, and plenty of turbulence. I certainly don’t recall my soul asking for these things before touching down, jolted and confused, into a fluorescent hospital room - do you?

If god and the divine forces bless us with eternal, perfect souls, why, oh why, would they send us here?! To this place where such ungodly things are ever-present? Where atrocities occur every single day?

Now don’t get me wrong - I continuously choose to see a “glass half full” world. I am truly very proud of the spiritual and emotional work I’ve done over the past few years to reach a point where in most cases, my knee-jerk reaction is to think positively. To see that silver lining. To remember that every occurrence is part of the universe’s plan for me.

But if we are really crafted from eternal, blissful, all-knowing consciousness, why do we need to be here? In a place filled with imperfection? Where love is not always present? Where occurrences every single day would make plenty of people question whether there has ever been or will ever be a god?

Truth be told, there was an era of my life when I didn’t believe god existed. Because how could god possibly allow such horrors?

My working theory is this—

Simply put, our souls are here on earth to learn and to grow. To connect. To have the chance to appreciate each other. To make mistakes, and to learn empathy by doing so. To treasure the support and care we feel from receiving kindness. To learn that there is a place where things aren’t guaranteed. And to practice gratitude for the forces that do bring kindness and love in a place where they aren’t required.

Because you can’t truly appreciate peace and love without first experiencing hardship and fear. It sucks. It does. But it’s the precursor to experiencing things more divine than any of us know.

Maybe it’s exactly the point - to appreciate, to savor. In the words of Gwyneth Paltrow, “we get one life, so why not milk the shit out of it?” Couldn’t have said it better myself, frankly.

This quote came to me via my Five Minute Journal, which I write in every day. Coincidence that it popped up on the very day I was editing this draft? Of course not!

The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.

~ Pablo Picasso

We hear a lot of voices talking about finding our purpose, huh? I think the pandemic set off a seismic shift in the way many of us view our place in the world. What kind of mark we want to make while we’re here. What kind of legacy we want to leave behind when we’re gone.

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Maybe another reason why we’re here on earth, beyond learning appreciation for everything that’s to come, is to discover our soul’s brightest light - our gift. Even if all humans have come from the same Creator, the same Source, that force created each of us uniquely. And with uniqueness comes differentiation in the things within us that allow us to shine our brightest.

And wouldn’t the highest, most divine purpose of all be to find a way to shine our brightest light while helping others do the same? Because once our souls return home, that’s it - we’re all infinite, shining eternal beings. Where no soul is brighter than another, where each being is already in their highest, most divine form.

But on earth, we have the opportunity to give to ourselves, to elevate ourselves while elevating others. And what better way to assume our highest calling than to live in service to others, and have faith that others are doing the same?

Because aren’t we all just out there trying to help other people in our own unique ways? Just because someone’s scale of giving is smaller than someone else’s doesn’t make it less impactful, or less important or special. The ripples from one minuscule act of kindness can have just as much force and longevity as the ripples from something more widespread. The intention - using our gifts for good - is what matters.

I’m not afraid of death. Of whatever comes after this existence. Really! Maybe the human in me is a little afraid to die…the act of dying. Whether being eaten by a shark, struck by an errant lightning bolt or slipping violently on a banana peel. But no, I’m really not afraid at all of what comes after my soul slips away from my body.

I have faith that I’ll feel peace. That I’ll be inundated with a love so pure, so unadulterated it will feel brand new. That my soul will feel connected to all the love, all the miracles that ever have been and ever will be. That my consciousness will be so elevated, I’ll forget I ever felt anything but peace and understanding and eternal love.

I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU!

I’ve gotten feedback that a shorter post every now and again would be valuable. So, I’m considering every other week on Sunday evening, sending out a ~300 word note with some positivity or inspiration for faith in your week ahead. Does this sound like something of interest? Or if you have any other thoughts or requests, let me know by replying or leaving a comment!

I had already been planning to write about my beliefs for what happens to us when we die. But to my pleasant surprise, the priest who gave the sermon at Grandpa Jim’s catholic funeral gave me some beautiful and welcome inspiration, which I’m honored to share below.

Back when I was single and still dating to find my dream partner, I was inspired by the New York Times’ now classic 36 Questions That Lead to Love. I’d read through the list and picked out the ones I’d liked, then added a few original questions it had inspired.

One of the questions I’d added was: what do you believe happens to us when we die? There is no right or wrong answer, of course. There is only what someone chooses to believe.

My own answer to this question was a democratic one. I believed that wherever someone believes they’ll go when they die - whether to purgatory or heaven, to live eternally in the Caribbean, to reincarnate as a flower or a dog, or whatever it may be - was exactly where they would go. Why can’t each of us determine for ourselves the circumstances in which we’d like to spend eternity?

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Personally, I most wanted to go to a place where I felt no pain, saw no suffering, and had the immense, gorgeous privilege of existing on a continuum of love. I could spend time with all those I loved who had passed before me - my grandparents, my own parents and immediate family (eventually), my beloved childhood dog, those whom I never met on earth but whose work and teachings have influenced the course of my life. I would magically teleport to all corners of the world I’ve had a desire to visit; I could curl up in the comfiest chair and read every single book I’ve ever wanted to, where time itself is merely a loose concept. A fuzzy notion from a lifetime ago.

As I’ve evolved my modern faith, I’ve clarified my thoughts on the afterlife. But surprisingly, while attending Grandpa Jim’s catholic funeral this past weekend, I felt a clarified perspective bloom. Though my experience with catholicism wasn’t a positive one, the sentiments shared by Grandpa Jim’s priest instantly resonated with me.

I sat down in the pew trying not to equate the present with my past, and reminded myself of how much progress I’ve made in my spirituality journey. If this priest and the entire church portion of this day was going to be something that reminded me too strongly of the elements of rigid catholicism I grew up learning, it didn’t matter. I still have much to be proud of and have made beautiful, meaningful strides in my journey into faith.

I sat down in the pew with open, earnest ears, committing to take in what I connected with, and allowing the rest to simply fade away.

The priest began his sermon by sharing that we are all endless beings. That our lives don’t end when we die. Nor do they begin when we’re born. No, our souls are endless….eternal, really. Our experience here on earth is not some truncated jaunt, promenading through the cosmos as we await our “great reward” (my words, not the catholic priest’s during this funeral service!).

I found myself actually agreeing with most of what he said, to my, candidly, immense surprise. But what really stuck with me, what really made me think and made me want to sit with, was how he used the word “strange” to describe our time on earth. Strange. What’s strange about it?? Being here on earth, as a human, a mortal? What’s strange about the reality every one of us sitting in that church - and reading this Substack right now - exists in, day in and day out?

He said it so offhandedly, too. I don’t imagine he gave its selection much weight. I don’t imagine he used that word for dramatic effect. I certainly don’t think he’d have guessed that someone in the audience would spend the next day thinking of that word, strange, so intently that they decided to orbit part of a Substack post around its now celestial body.

But, with nonchalance that can come only from a position of peace and certainty, the priest explained how our souls’ time on earth is quite possibly the strangest chapter of their existences. When we die, as told during this catholic service, our souls continue their eternal life as they had before we were born on earth.

Before we came to earth, our souls basked in this heavenly place. A place free of suffering. Free of judgment. Free of doubt. Free of pain. Free of unmet desire. A place our souls have an innate, deep inner knowing of the most crystalized elements of the universe. Of peace. Of abundance. Of love - something of which we can always use more.

In the knowledge - the faith - that our souls are eternal, how strange that they’re subjected to a layover on the surface of this infinitesimal rock floating around the Milky Way, where they experience pain, judgment, internal suffering, unkindness on a regular if not daily basis? How strange that we ever need to question our souls’ purpose? How strange that we spend a single moment out of alignment with the divine? How strange that, in moments of mortal weakness, we propagate those damning forces ourselves. When that brilliant, sparkling, breathlessly perfect existence and more, of the divine and with the divine, exists waiting for us to return to, the moment our souls leave these earthen bodies? How strange, indeed.

With these thoughts in mind, I’m challenging myself to curate an earthly life that’s as close to heaven as I can get. Even if I don’t identify with a traditional, denominational god or particular faith, why can’t I live in such a way that affords me as little pain, little judgment, little suffering and little unknowing as possible? And more importantly, why the heavens wouldn’t I?

So now I challenge you…why can’t you, too? Let’s bring ourselves a little closer to heaven, a little closer to our souls’ eternal happiness while we’re right. here. now.

As the sun’s abundant light shone through the gaps in the amber-colored leaves creating a kaleidoscope across my page, I realized I should take advantage of this weather and go for one of my last bike rides of the season. For background, I have loved biking since I was a little kid, but this summer I’d gotten very into it - buying professional “kits”, those clip-in shoes, wrap-around sport sunglasses; the whole nine yards!

I was treating myself to a real moment of clarity, and of gratitude to god for giving us a truly perfect early autumn morning before going inside to change. Once I did, I got all suited up in my unitard-like cycling shorts, the jersey top, the high socks, the special shoes, and braided my hair just the way I like so it doesn’t get caught in my helmet…I even put on my helmet and sunglasses as I walked back out the door.

I positioned my bike to wheel down the patio, when to my absolute devastation I saw that the back tire was flat as a pancake. Now, I am proud to have put a lot of work and energy into mindsetting over the past two years, where when something unfortunate like this happens, I’m able to recognize quickly that there are far worse things that could have happened and that I am still an incredibly lucky and blessed person.

But in that moment, my entire mood deflated - pun intended. Logically, I knew it wasn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of my life or even my day, but I had felt so proud for hyping myself up to go on my first bike ride in weeks. I was really excited to go out and experience every bit of nature and my surrounding environment in this unique moment between summer and fall. But alas, my flat tire stopped me in my tracks.

I audibly groaned and asked my very handy fiancé to come outside and take a look. He asked where I had put the adapter for his air compressor so he could try blowing up the tire, in case it didn’t have a puncture and just needed more air. I had a whole second wave of disappointment, because I remembered that I had left it at my parents’ house in New York the last time I’d taken the bike up there.

In the span of 30 seconds, my mood went from elation and anticipation of getting to experience the bounty of this morning god had provided me to utterly pissed off, down real bad.

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As the minutes ticked by, I could have easily chosen to stay down the rest of the day, chosen not to find the light in other positive instances of my morning and the abundant blessings of my day, chosen to ignore god’s presence in the situation.

But through my modern faith, I’ve discovered that no occurrence is a coincidence, no happenstance is a random deviation in the fibers of the universe. God works in mysterious ways, and I choose to have faith in his reasoning for all things that transpire.

For instance, what if I needed to be deterred from going on a bike ride because a car would have lost control and clipped me if I’d gone? What if god didn’t want me to ride because my recurrent knee injury would have flared and been the most painful it has ever been? What if instead of going out cycling, I was meant to join my fiancé for a run instead and have a lovely, bonding time where I got to cheer him on and still get a sweat in for myself? (which actually ended up happening, and it was just as delightful)

Or…what if god needed this to happen because my fiancé was going to suggest during our jog that I should focus this week’s Modern Faith post about how any of us can find god in even the most unfortunate scenarios, and there’s someone who very much needs to hear that message? Maybe it’s you. ;)

This is just one example from my life where, after taking a moment to feel down and out, I choose to remember my faith that everything happens for a reason. I fully believe that the universe is pulling strings behind the scenes to ensure each of us gain the experiences, opportunities, relationships, and context to help us become the most light-giving, loving versions of ourselves.

I believe there is a benevolent force out there in the world who looks out for all of us and sets us on the exact path we need. I find peace on a daily basis through this belief, from the moments when things are going right and I hit a lucky break to, even moments like this, that were unplanned surprises which derailed something I had been looking forward to.

There is peace and power in surrendering to the divine’s plan. Feelings of care and warmth and love and of being nuzzled and nurtured by the mightiest forces of the universe are what bring that extra dose of meaning to my days. Choosing to have faith that the divine is my collaborator rather than my judge and ruler tends to do that for me.

How would the “down and out” moments of your own life - of your own day - be redefined by this change in perspective? If you know that there is a divine, guiding force who ensures everything that happens to you is happening for you? When we use that reframe for our moments of disappointment, what happens feels a lot less disappointing.

In fact, I was listening to a podcast this morning about the ever-evolving seasons of life, and how to love yourself no matter what season you may be in, regardless of whatever bumps may have reared up along your road. The host said something that struck me: “rejection is redirection”. This little saying immediately burrowed into my heart, because I know it to be true.

When you are rejected from a prospective partner, a new friend, a project at work you wanted, or even your favorite morning pastry just selling out to the person in front of you, you can trust it’s for a divine reason. God wasn’t rejecting you, he was redirecting you toward something more purposeful, more fulfilling, more peaceful for you - even though we rarely get the instant knowledge of what that redirection is.

So this past week, I’ve been reminded of how beautiful it can be to have faith in the rejections, the pauses, the hiccups, the disappointments. How these oftentimes negatives can be turned into positives. They are a vivid reminder that the universe has a gorgeous plan for each of us. One that we get to feel the power of every single day.

This weekend, try to identify something that happens to you as something happening for you. Reframe some perceived rejection as a step toward where you’re meant to go. When you do, life will look a lot more purposeful, a lot more aligned with the divine.

A couple of years ago right around the time I was newly exploring my relationship with faith, I set an intention to be less judgmental of others. I had no framework to measure my strides, no metrics in place or checklist to determine success other than a feeling, right inside my heart, that I wanted to get back. The feeling we all once had as small children, utterly innocent and free from any judgmental lens.

I wanted to feel peace. I wanted to feel undisturbed and unbothered by the way other people chose to live their lives. And I wanted to feel my heart fall in love with the world - and the glorious, brave individuals around me - again.

I had come to a point where I felt that with every judgment passed, from the most arbitrary and tedious, to the most intimate and consequential, I strayed further from my highest self. My most divine, loving, light-filled self that god created me - and all of us - to be.

And blessedly, I did feel for a long time that I operated as a less judgmental person. By no coincidence, the timing and my progress aligned with my journey of spirituality and discovering this modern faith. There were times when my first instinct, in a moment that could have been a sneer and judgment, instead became:

I don’t know their life’s circumstances or even this moment’s circumstances. I have no insight as to what led them to this moment. Though I would not have acted in the same way or made the same decision, if I had their exact experiences I probably would have done exactly what they had done. I choose to believe that this person is doing the very best they are able to do after having the memories, moments, trauma, and experiences they have had in their life.

What a thing to think. And do you know what? I was so much happier when this train of thought floated to the surface of my consciousness, rather than negativity and reprimand. Because the reality is this: we can disagree with, condemn, judge, and shame other people all day long. But we’ll never be able to change them. Instead, we can choose kindness - and perhaps even a silent blessing or prayer if we’re feeling particularly in touch with the divine inside ourselves - and to move on.

Throughout the last week or so, I’ve noticed that my instincts have regressed a bit in the direction of judgment. One precise moment where I knew I needed an about-face was at a café in the Hudson Valley around where I grew up. My fiancé and I were visiting a delightfully, deliciously rural area with few cars, fewer people, and farms bathed in sunshine growing the earth’s beautiful bounty as far as the eye could see.

We stopped at a roadside farm market and café called Random Harvest for some delicious coffee and spectacular homemade breakfast sandwiches. There were two gentlemen outside the café as we walked up to the entrance, making a pit stop for coffee during their morning bike ride. They saw us taking a selfie (yes, I am that tourist, even near my hometown) and asked if we’d ever been there. I answered politely and the four of us spoke for a moment. I could tell that this gentleman was in the mood to chat, but my instinct was to finish up the conversation with this stranger whom I would never see again and get on with my morning. I rushed him and made a polite exit inside the cafe’s doors, sensing his hurt and disappointment as I pulled away.

During our drive to the next stop, I realized that instead of making nice, harmless, affable conversation with a well-intentioned stranger and appreciating a genuine moment of humanity, I chose to judge him as unimportant in the grand scheme of my day, and go inward to cast him out of my morning. I chose to stay insular, and deny a hearty, lovely interaction with another one of god’s children.

I know that I am a nicer, kinder person than that. I know I have it within me to spread a little more love and light with my fellow people of the earth than that.

Because the reality of my modern faith is: when we judge others, we judge ourselves. When we condemn others, we condemn ourselves. When we deny others, we deny ourselves.

Early in my journey of deepening my relationship with a god who doesn’t fall into one of the explicit Christian denominations, I saw a podcast episode pop up in my feed that intrigued me. For context, I believe there is no such thing as a coincidence, and that every occurrence is seamlessly and benevolently orchestrated by the divine.

This podcast episode opened up an entire world of spirituality for me, and I re-listened to it probably at least five times. The episode features Marianne Williamson, who shares that god’s creatures are not separate from one another; we are not independent, isolated beings. All of us are on a spectrum, a continuum if you will, and our energy and actions outward affect ourselves internally as much as they do externally. I highly recommend giving the episode a listen if you’re curious, and even her book, A Return to Love if you feel called to this exploration as much as I did and still do.

Our greatest opportunity to positively affect another person’s life is to accept God’s love into our own.

- Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love

I think this is a beautiful way to look at life, and to look at others in relation to us. How if you do a good deed and accept the love of the divine, you can have faith that it will come back to you exactly how you need it to. How if you spend money to support a small business or donate to a charitable cause, that abundance and prosperity will find its way back to you. But how if you withhold from and judge others, the world and the creatures in it will very likely not embrace you back with open arms. When you approach the world and those in it with empathy, kindness and a penchant for understanding, I have faith that god will have your back.

I think back to that glorious, heartfelt scene in Ted Lasso where Ted shares during a high-stakes game of darts with Rupert, how when he was a little boy his peers often underestimated him. Ted explains, “people thought they had it all figured out. So they judged everything, judged everyone.” They misjudged him, dismissed him. And how if Rupert had been even a little curious about Ted instead of making unfair assumptions, he may have had the sense to ask Ted if he was any good at darts before challenging him to a winner-takes-all game. But no, Rupert judged unfairly and prematurely, and Ted spent the duration of a near-perfectly played game explaining how he grew up playing darts with his father every week as a boy. Ted implored, “be curious, not judgmental.” He throws the final dart, hitting a perfect bull’s eye, to the momentous eruption of the pub.

The not-quite-spiritual folks may call this the Law of Attraction. And they’re right! A big component that goes into this continuum of humanity in the day-to-day is the faith that good things will come back to you. And that by acting in a forthright way, bad things often won’t. The faith that god is holding the universe in perfect, harmonious balance brings me an uncanny sense of peace day in and day out.

Now I completely appreciate that this concept is all very well and good in theory. But when we have that interaction with a rude coworker, or our friend makes a nasty remark after a long day, or we get cut off in traffic on our way home from work, it’s very difficult to remember, let alone actually put into action.

But when you take one step in this direction, every step further becomes easier, becomes closer to instinctual. Plus, when we start to intuit a knee-jerk reaction towards kindness rather than condemnation, it’s easier and easier to believe that the world’s instinct to regard us in kindness, too.

So, spread kindness. Reserve judgment. Be curious about your fellow creatures. Share light and love with god’s worldly creations - and they will share right back.

There is an irrefutable logic in having control over the stepping stones that lead to something you want, whether it’s a promotion or new job, meeting a romantic partner, buying a home, or baking the perfect loaf of bread. You determine your goal, you investigate the steps to follow, you ask others for assistance when necessary, you practice, all the while keeping your nose to the grindstone and taking ownership of the elements that lead to the finish line.

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It’s natural to lean towards control. It feels safer, more sure. It gives us a sense of security that nods to the old adage that if you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself. After all, there is no one who is going to put more care or effort into something you want than you would.

I’ve been an ardent believer and champion of this method for many years. I’ve made spreadsheets, pored over to-do lists, and created near-militant structures and work processes that I’ve followed to a tee.

Have my efforts paid off and have I gotten me what I’ve wanted? Mostly, yes. They have. But did I feel even for a moment like there was ever a benevolent, guiding force behind my outcomes that wanted the best for me and loved me and was happy for my successes and sympathetic and gentle with my losses and was something whose limitless embrace I could carry with me in good times and bad?

Hell no!

Now don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to be said for accomplishing the things we set our minds to. There’s a beauty in the feeling we get after earning something we’ve worked towards. But after doing it the white-knuckle way and doing it the faith-in-god way, I can confidently share that the most beautiful, soul-warming feelings of collaboration with a divine presence come from co-creating with god.

By nature, I am a control freak. My friends and family are all well aware, and I’ve leaned towards OCD from a young age. After finding my way to my modern faith and back to god over the last year, I’ve been truly shocked at how I’ve been able to surrender the biggest, hugest, hairiest, most important desires of my life to the divine forces at play.

When I do get the things I want, I rejoice, and I thank god. When I don’t get those things, I rejoice, and I thank god………hmm. You may have had to read that again. When you did you might have asked: Sarah, why the heck would you thank god when he doesn’t help you get the thing you want? The thing you prayed for his help getting? And my answer is one simple string of words. These words bring my soul such peace. The thought process behind them makes me feel secure and even grateful for things not working out the way I’d hoped they would.

And that string of words is: It’s this, or something better.

It’s this, or something better. Allow me to explain. When I have a desire or a big decision to make, there are an infinite number of components that travel through the fiber optic wires of the intangible universe that ultimately make my desire come true or not. Plenty of them are within my control, but oftentimes the biggest components are not.

As humans in an individualistic society, each of us usually believes we know what’s best for us, for our lives. But what if there was something out there, some mystical, magical, omnipresent energy that has a big, beautiful plan for us all to reach our fullest potential and become the brightest, most loving and peaceful versions of ourselves we could be? Would we want to count that out and reject its involvement in our lives?

I respect every person’s unique answer to that question. For myself, I fully believe god has a plan for my life and I have shifted toward consciously surrendering the biggest decisions about the direction my life will go to him. I pray, I ask for signs - and you’d be shocked how strongly, quickly, and fiercely they come through! - and when the things I want come to fruition, I have faith that it has been divinely ordained.

To put it simply - I have faith that the divine has a better plan than I do. I can name countless instances that have worked out in ways that were leaps and bounds beyond even the best case I could have conceived myself. I believe in a god who knows better than I do, who happily looks for chances to brighten and enliven my existence here on earth that I may never have foreseen.

But what about when I learn that I didn’t get the promotion? When I get a painful injury training for a cycling milestone I was really excited for? When the loaf of bread my fiancé and I practiced for hours and hours, for which we bought all the tools and accoutrements and had such high hopes for comes out of the oven looking like a literal hot mess?

Well, it’s right there in the second half of our phrase. It’s something better. Part of my modern faith is the whole body, whole mind, whole soul belief that when something doesn’t work out the way I want it to, it’s because god has something even better in store for me. Something I probably don’t even know of yet! That concept and my faith in it just…tickles me. Makes me feel like there is in fact a benevolent, peaceful, kind, and all-loving presence watching out for me each and every day.

Why would I want to keep a strangle-hold grip on every single piece and part of making something happen or not happen when I can surrender the outcome of my efforts to a divine force? When I trust in god and the universe to bring me exactly where I’m meant to go?

A significant part of my faith journey has been humbling myself enough to recognize and appreciate that there are forces out there who are wildly more equipped to guide my life down a beautiful path, even when it’s got pauses or redirections along the way.

If you think all this is patently insane, I get it. I certainly would have a couple years ago. But before you totally write it off, just do me one favor. If there’s a path you’re walking where you feel resistance that you can’t name or if you’re utterly conflicted on the best way forward, ask for help from the divine. You don’t have to call it god - you don’t have to call it anything at all. Just ask something for help. For guidance, for clarity.

I’d bet you feel something akin to a “ping” from the powers that be, giving you a gentle and loving nudge. And if you don’t? Well, it cost you nothing and you had the chance to expand your modern faith horizons or preconceptions!

If you do give this a try, I would love to hear how it went for you! Shoot me a direct message or write in the comments about your experience. I’m rooting for you!

So right now, on a beautiful morning in late August, it’s no accident that my inbox is empty as I saunter outside to take an early lunch break in my office’s generous courtyard, to reflect and to write.

I am thrilled to report that after a decade+ of not having stepped inside a church, my faith in god and my relationship with him feels stronger and more vibrant than ever. Seriously. I have no plans to go to church or a house of worship to pray again. Despite that (or because of it?) I feel so strongly connected to god and his plan for me that I decided to start writing Modern Faith, to share a new way of faith with anyone who needs to hear it.

When I’m outside in nature, I’m reminded of how all the creatures here on earth came from one creator. How we are all, in a way, in this together. I feel peace. I feel serenity. I feel awe. All the feelings I have when I tap into my relationship with god.

When I do want dedicated time to talk to god, it makes perfect sense that whenever possible, I do so outside in a natural setting. And what better way to do that than by going outside for a walk.

To shed some light on my appreciation for taking walks… I have been walking outside long before the Hot Girl Walk was ever a thing. Even as a teenager, I appreciated that solo walks outside gave me the chance to be alone with my thoughts and connect to my innermost self without distractions. Plus, the sunlight and whatever weather I might have had - rain, 100+ degree temps, inches of serene snow, a gentle breeze or mighty gusts of wind - forced me to appreciate the magnitude and might of my natural surroundings. Surroundings that I believe god created for all his creatures.

Walking outdoors is a chance to be mindful and present to the autonomy of what’s external, while taking stock and reflecting on the internal - two elements I strongly believe are what has allowed me to deepen my faith, and can be the foundation for anyone struggling with a belief in god or something greater than themselves to begin. A simple walk outside, especially when made into a routine, can change your whole perspective.

For about two years now, I’ve gone on “gratitude walks” every morning. Before I opened my mind and heart up last summer to god’s existence, these walks were my gateway for giving thanks to the universe and the powers that be for all the wonderful blessings and abundance in my life. I didn’t start out by thanking god specifically, but instead used a series of pseudonyms.

I consciously called out everything I was grateful for on a given day, from having a peaceful night of sleep to getting a new job, from my good health to the new book I was reading that brought me happiness. I credited my good fortune partly to my own resourcefulness and talents, but in large part to the universe’s - and soon enough god’s - abundance.

Eventually these walk-and-talks evolved to include not only what I felt grateful for, but also what I wanted to ask god for that day and my prayers for others. Now, my daily morning ritual of talking to god looks like:

• Thanking god for all the various blessings and good fortune in my life.

• Asking god (aka praying) for things that day, like having meetings go well, keeping me and my loved ones in good health, or helping me adopt a particular mindset.

• Praying for others. I pray for someone I love, and then I pray for someone who I’m upset with or want something from. I find that praying for people who are giving you consternation actually helps alleviate some of the pissed off feelings you have for them. Who knew!

This ritual each and every morning strengthens my relationship with god and gives me a chance to clarify and honor my desires for the day ahead.

Notice in your own life how you can feel connected to the divine just about anywhere. I feel connected with him all the time, regardless of where I am physically. God is wherever we are. In our busy calendars and in our carpools. In our workdays and our refuse-to-leave-home weekends.

He does not judge us or count against us for not physically making the journey to a house of worship each week. I used to think that was the case, and I’m incredibly grateful to know now that it’s not. That having a loving, giving relationship with faith is not conditional upon putting on a socially acceptable outfit and plodding along somewhere out in town.

This isn’t about convenience or disrespect. I respect the divine and its infinite power to shape my and all of our lives more than I can say. But I don’t believe his love back is conditional. That I need to satisfy a condition created by humans hundreds of years ago in order to receive his love or blessings.

God’s love and abundance reach us if we want to be reached (and even plenty of the time if we don’t). Period. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a church, out for a walk, at the yoga studio, or sitting in a highway rest stop bathroom stall. No physical location is superior to another to connect deeply with the divine.

You don’t have any less right to pray to god and ask for things than someone who does so from a church pew. You don’t have any less right to ask for help forgiving yourself for something than the person asking a priest from inside a confessional booth.

If you believe the divine is with you, it is. It’s just. there. No relocation necessary. Only faith.

If you enjoyed this topic or my writing, please give me a “like” - it’ll go a long way and will flatter me endlessly!

And if you really enjoyed this post, leave a comment and let me know where you feel close to god or the divine or whatever you may call this big beautiful force :)

Until next time, friends!

I’m not talking one or two or even three ideas for topics about faith. I’m talking a dozen ideas – all high quality and all topics I’d love to read myself! All of which just flowed to the forefront of my consciousness. I hadn’t gone on Instagram to source faith-related content to spur themes, I didn’t go on ChatGPT and ask it to compute topics for me. No, I simply sat there in my desk chair before my workday ended, reading a new Substack post from Milk & Cookies, and suddenly I had a veritable river of ideas flowing into my head.

I jotted them all down in my Notes app – by the way, when this happened I’d yet to even decide on an official name for my Substack – and had to pick my phone back up every eight seconds or so, because something new and worth remembering would come to me!

Believe it or not, this kind of thing happens to me more than you’d think. Where I’m stuck on something or having trouble finding the right way to go about something, and all of a sudden, I’m positively inundated with exactly what I need to make these strides.

And this isn’t because I’m lucky or because I work hard and deserve this creative burst - not at all. I purposefully try to work smarter, not harder, in as many facets of my life as possible and take no satisfaction in glorifying busyness or “pounding the pavement.”

Nope - I get exactly what I need, exactly when I need it (most of the time) because I have faith in god. I pray to god, I talk to god, I tell god what I’m grateful for and how his many blessings have impacted my life. I have befriended god and the divine in a beautiful way.

With Modern Faith, I aim to:

• Share another take on faith with those who are where I was just a year or so ago - turned off by the dogma and the rigid structures of traditional organized religion

• Grow a community to inspire each other and share stories of how faith enhances our lives

• Give myself a Creative outlet to share the joy and peace I feel from my relationship with god

I’ve been thinking of writing about my faith for a couple of months now. What inspired me originally was reflecting on so many timely events and circumstances in my life that came to be, perfectly orchestrated to bring me to a place of personal evolution and peace I could have only dreamed of just a few years ago. And what was the driving force behind all those happenings? Was it serendipity? Was it luck? A series of coincidences? Nope. I choose to believe it was god.

I choose to believe that I discovered “Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life”1 because god wanted to whet my palette for expanding my writing skills in advance of deciding to begin this Substack. I choose to believe god led me to putting off reading “Beyond Anxiety: Curiosity, Creativity, and Finding Your Life's Purpose”2 for months, even though I love Martha Beck’s work(!), because he needed several other keys to click into place for me before I was ready to heed her advice and channel my Creativity into Modern Faith.

I believe when we are on a path, whether we’ve asked for it or not, no piece of content, advice, conversation, book, or meeting is accidental. Each instance is a piece of your personal puzzle, designed by the divine. One common thread in both books was how no one is going to Create what you feel called to. There's no one else on earth who can share what you desire to share with the world. No one can do this work but you. And in turn, there is someone - or maybe hundreds or even hundreds of thousands of someones - who want or need to hear what you have to say.

I choose to believe that everything happened perfectly, guided by the divine. Because of this exquisite timing, I now have an outlet for my Creativity, and the chance to offer a new perspective to someone out there who feels starved for faith in something bigger, something greater than themselves – just as I had for a long time.

You won’t find a feminist bible study here. You won’t find a capital G in god here. What you will find is my thoughts and eventually a community sharing faith for faith’s sake. Faith in god, faith in his plan for each and every one of us, faith in his love.

So as I sit here in my office’s courtyard long after the workday officially ended, should I have been surprised that for the first time ever since we started carpooling to work together, my fiancé had to stay late at the office and can’t pick me up for a little while longer? Reader, no, I should not. I’m laughing to myself as I realize just how spectacularly God has set up this impromptu inspiration & writing session for me. The abundant time to type these words out and honor the flow of Creativity.

It’s 5:59pm as I draft this, the time when I’d normally be getting settled in for the night after arriving home. But my fiancé has work to do, and so do I. God was monitoring this work’s progress in real time, let me tell you!

I am so freaking amazed by the power of faith, by the power of belief, by all the millions of infinitesimal ways the divine conspires on a moment-by-moment basis to deliver the exact circumstances we need to live our best lives.

Absolutely amazed, my friends.

Wishing you all the blessings,

Sarah