https://www.alongside.life/blog daily 0.75 2022-10-24 https://www.alongside.life/blog/how-to-take-an-effective-mental-health-day-m3blp monthly 0.5 2022-10-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62426bf90425574aa90a7832/2262dd8e-31b9-4bfc-a431-16ea10481aeb/Lu+look+up+CLOSE+UP+pathway.jpeg Blog - Coming soon… Pretty Caucasian woman at the beach smiling at camera. https://www.alongside.life/spiritual-direction daily 0.75 2022-10-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62426bf90425574aa90a7832/1f5873fc-4da8-455a-ba6a-a516453d3b8b/Little+Deer+Lake+View.jpg Spiritual Direction - What is spiritual direction? Spiritual direction is an opportunity to be still and to listen to our soul and to God in the presence of a trusted companion who is a trained listener. This companion facilitates our conversation with Creator in such a way that we are able to slow down and to be present to what is going on deep within us. Well crafted questions and embracing stillness, helps us to notice that inner voice. Spiritual direction allows us to experience the Divine in the most intimate part of ourselves that we are so often unaware of. The term “spiritual direction” can be easily misinterpreted. It is not primarily “directive” in the sense that no one is being told what to do, although Holy Spirit is very wise and is always inviting. It is not primarily “counseling” or focused on solving problems, although we may experience personal healing on some level. It is not primarily “teaching” or the transfer of information, although we learn a lot about ourselves and God in the process. Spiritual direction can be likened to this: Imagine two friends out for a walk. As they journey together, the director invites the directee to pay attention to what they are experiencing in such a way that they can both perceive what Creator is doing, especially in the life of the directee. In that sense, they are both invited to notice and experience what God is already cultivating. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62426bf90425574aa90a7832/da280aaa-fa1a-4a61-b876-83c9cfb2f107/R+and+L+looking+into+camera+at+shore.jpeg Spiritual Direction - Is spiritual direction for you? Jesus was infamous for asking people “what do you want?” How we answer this question is essential for us to determine the desires and longings of our heart. If you are hungering for a deeper awareness of God then spiritual direction can be a powerful practice to engage in. If you have come to a place in life where you feel disillusioned or have hit a wall in your spiritual journey, or if you are in a time of transition and you are seeking to discern next steps, taking time to stop and listen in a guided conversation can help to bring clarity and courage. If any of these scenarios awakens or stirs anything within you, you are not alone! We welcome a conversation with you. https://www.alongside.life/home daily 1.0 2025-10-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62426bf90425574aa90a7832/1657074336965-2T7MO7PVPLOCGXV6CFNJ/Lu+Profile+Pic+.jpeg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62426bf90425574aa90a7832/1657074417234-KCN8KP1GUS4LZ0KG40Z9/Rick+Profile+Pick+at+Water.jpeg Home https://www.alongside.life/spare daily 0.75 2022-04-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ede5d5c4e1eb54d74680dd4/1592257884218-5M8IJDOP8N07F4IMOC4Z/image-asset.png Spare hand-drawn empty pill bottle icon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ede5d5c4e1eb54d74680dd4/1592257964989-8DUQISWFIW61SQVEJ0WJ/image-asset.png Spare hand-drawn simplified needles in back acupuncture icon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ede5d5c4e1eb54d74680dd4/1592257949474-24WVPWDYQ2XUALLQ3P2D/image-asset.png Spare hand-drawn aim target icon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ede5d5c4e1eb54d74680dd4/1592257873663-UIEP0NPR7WLXHEWM0EJF/image-asset.png Spare hand-drawn armchair icon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ede5d5c4e1eb54d74680dd4/1591890351443-9BFPVD8JAZDMEYXJNIIQ/image-asset.jpeg Spare - “I underestimated how hard it would be adjusting to working from home, but with Dr. Schell’s help, I was able to regain focus.” — OLIVIA R., CLOVE CLIENT https://www.alongside.life/spare-2 daily 0.75 2022-04-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ede5d5c4e1eb54d74680dd4/1592258528238-TEL66TXUF0H17Q5NZ1M7/image-asset.jpeg Spare 2 - THERAPY, PSYCHIATRY, COACHING Larissa O’Connor, MD It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. Email — LinkedIn — Facebook — Instagram https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ede5d5c4e1eb54d74680dd4/1592258950048-IQSUQL3B3Y9KPD6ZYLXF/image-asset.jpeg Spare 2 - ACUPUNCTURE Lana Vargas, ND, LAc It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. Email — Instagram https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ede5d5c4e1eb54d74680dd4/1592258727432-UHN8WZ02ISEKG4Q0ZE0W/image-asset.jpeg Spare 2 - THERAPY, COACHING Tai Schell, PHD It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. Email — LinkedIn — Facebook https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ede5d5c4e1eb54d74680dd4/1615997305106-E9C8DZGPRZC76V1CUSOD/Stocksy_comp_2318452.jpg Spare 2 - PSYCHIATRY , COACHING Emmett Marsh, PHD It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. Email — LinkedIn — Facebook https://www.alongside.life/our-story daily 0.75 2022-11-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62426bf90425574aa90a7832/8d602738-3221-4235-b7e6-52f8e90c50b4/Lu+Profile+Pic+straight+on.jpeg Our Story - SPIRITUAL DIRECTION, SOUL CARE FORMATION, RETREATS, & END OF LIFE CARE Luanne Hill Luanne has been drawn to the work of ‘being with’ individuals for much of her life. Most of her career as a registered nurse was focused on the “birthing in” of life and the health of young and growing families. It was during her many years teaching nursing students that she realized that the thing she enjoyed the most about her work was getting to know her students as individuals, and hearing their story. This led her to study spiritual direction with Sustainable Faith in 2016. As a Type Four on the Enneagram, Luanne enjoys deep dive conversations with others to harvest the sacred nuggets of where the Divine is at work in each one of us. The practice of sitting with others in direction fits so well with her life-long interest in the birthing process. As John Philip Newell puts it, the role of a spiritual companion “is to midwife what is trying to come forth from deep within the human soul”. Recently, Luanne became more curious about the “birthing out” process of life as well and the importance of encouraging open conversations about death and dying. This led her to become certified as an End-of-Life Doula through Douglas College in 2019. Luanne is married to Rick and over the years they have been involved in many shared ministry experiences. She is a mom to three adult children and has been so enriched by what their life partners have brought to the family circle. Luanne loves to create welcoming spaces, repurpose found objects, and sew felted wool sweater mittens in her spare time. Her favourite place to be in the warmer months is at their cabin retreat at Little Deer on Lake Winnipeg. Email — Instagram https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62426bf90425574aa90a7832/20c7dc67-623a-4052-b5d8-20f52fdc39de/Rick+Profile+Pic+on+Stairs.jpeg Our Story - SPIRITUAL DIRECTION, TRANSITIONAL COACHING & RETREATS Rick Hill Rick is passionate about helping people to connect with God. Deconstructing and reconstructing his own faith has been a lifelong adventure. He began to develop his people skills while hitchhiking home from high school sports practices and enjoyed learning about life from a variety of individuals. He is always curious about what makes someone tick. Everyone has a story, and that story has innate value. After studying Chemistry at McMaster University (where he met Luanne - the second best thing that ever happened to him), Rick shifted his vocational direction and completed his seminary training. He has served as a youth pastor, church planter, lead pastor and in parachurch leadership positions. Since 2010, Rick’s primary focus has been consulting with local churches in transition. In all of these situations, Rick has been especially passionate about helping people to experience God on a deeper level, especially those folks who are on the fringes of faith. Several years ago, the book “With” by Skye Jethani helped Rick to articulate his desire to experience life with God. As he entered the study and practice of spiritual direction, he began to acquire the practical tools that would facilitate his conversations with other spiritual seekers. This is his true vocation. Rick enjoys spending time with his far-flung offspring, new food experiences, and being in creation. He is usually optimistic about the Winnipeg Jets. Email — LinkedIn https://www.alongside.life/contact daily 0.75 2022-09-13 https://www.alongside.life/our-approach daily 0.75 2022-04-14 https://www.alongside.life/get-started daily 0.75 2022-08-15 https://www.alongside.life/transitional-coaching daily 0.75 2022-10-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62426bf90425574aa90a7832/b3bfe81e-e690-460b-af51-a0f9db968694/Transitional+Coaching+2.jpg Transitional Coaching - Transitional Coaching Transitions are the “times between times”, the places in life when we are experiencing a major change and we are not quite sure what the next phase is going to look like. As a result, transitions can be scary, uncertain and exciting all at the same time. Transitions can be challenging to navigate and if we do not pay attention to where we’re going, it is all too easy to end up in the wrong place. As we travel through unfamiliar territory, it is helpful to have a guide to help us find our way. Transitional coaching offers church communities an experienced mentor to help them to optimize the opportunity to process their past, to assess their present reality and to move with faith into the future. Rick has extensive experience in transitional ministry serving several different local churches from various faith backgrounds. He offers customized coaching to local churches that are going through some kind of transition. Feel free to contact Rick for further conversation about how we can collaborate in the future to help your church negotiate whatever transition you are experiencing. https://www.alongside.life/end-of-life-doula daily 0.75 2022-11-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62426bf90425574aa90a7832/68165dad-7ff4-4946-b3fa-43327c63995a/Lu+with+Cairn.jpeg End of Life Doula - End of Life Doula Although it is often difficult for many of us to think about, the reality we all need to eventually come to terms with is that our life on earth is finite and will come to an end. Whether we talk about it or not, no matter what our status or place in life, death is a certainty and the great equalizer. End of Life Doulas take a holistic approach to this time of life, being there for emotional, spiritual and physical support. Dying is the most natural organic process and death doulas help the individual and family members navigate and cope with this important stage of life. They hold space for the person facing death to help them live well until they die. They offer support in having those difficult conversations, doing legacy work and planning for the days and hours leading up to death, the practical needs of dying, as well as grief support. Luanne is a certified End of Life Doula (Douglas College 2019). Her first experience implementing her training was with her mother who died in hospice care a few months later. She has learned that having honest conversations about wishes and desires, embracing all the emotions allows for a more meaningful experience – for both the person dying and those left to continue living. Death is a process, rather than an event, that can span over months or even years. Doulas can help with supporting and planning for the future regardless of diagnosis or illness. Having these conversations early is something that doulas encourage, so that the care received at the end of life is appropriate and aligned with your wishes. This is something that Luanne embraces. Her nursing background and training in Spiritual Direction has helped to prepare her for this important role. https://www.alongside.life/retreats daily 0.75 2025-01-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62426bf90425574aa90a7832/ca12c1a0-2a72-4d41-a5cc-41028f94683b/R+and+L+reaching+hands+at+shore.jpeg Retreats - Importance of stepping away… We are human “beings”, and yet so much of our lives often focus on “doing” and achieving. Our bodies are wired to live in healthy rhythms – work and rest, engagement and withdrawal, silence and solitude. There are times when we need to step away from our normal routines into stillness so we can listen more deeply to ourselves and to Divine Love. In these stressful days, we need space to be quiet and reflective and to connect with creation. It has been our dream for many years to have a space to invite others to experience this. Our desire is to offer silent or guided retreats for individuals, couples and small groups. We started this in 2024 and want to continue to offer this going forward.These retreats can take place at our small retreat space at Little Deer on Lake Winnipeg. We are also available to facilitate spiritual formation retreats to groups at other locations upon request. Please contact us for more details. We would love to hear from you! https://www.alongside.life/retreats-1 daily 0.75 2022-05-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ede5d5c4e1eb54d74680dd4/1591809300101-EYDRWIYMF88LH58RQ8TW/image-asset.jpeg Retreats (Copy) - Retreats We are “human beings”, not “human doings”. As such, we are wired to live in healthy rhythms – work and rest, engagement and withdrawal, silence and solitude. There are times when we need to step into silence so we can listen more deeply to ourselves and to Creator. In these stressful days, we need space to be quiet and reflective and to connect with creation. It is our hope and desire to offer guided retreats for individuals and couples. 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