As a regular segment of “It Matters with Kelly Cordes,” Tracy Rittmueller and guests will share interesting personal stories behind the wide diversity of food, art, and cultures present in Central Minnesota. Each month a local poet, writer, or artist will bring a cultural/family heritage recipe and a story, poem, or song that complements it.
Tracy Rittmueller is producing a Winter Party with Paints and Poems at the St Cloud public library on December 21, 2022,
Winter Party with Paints and Poems, December 21 in St. Cloud Read More »
This article explores the books HOW TO BE and DEAR EDWARD in light of what it means not just to survive, but truly live—with the help of kindred-spirit relationships and soul-friends.
Good coupled books is a blog series where Tracy Rittmueller pairs an imaginative work of literature with a contemporary “storied-how-to” book with a focus on creating meaning, connection, and healing.
Introducing Good Coupled Books by Tracy Rittmueller Read More »
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change… To accept life as it is, is to accept that I am not done changing and growing. Thinking I can control life makes it hard for me to accept change. Admitting my need for change requires an inner acknowledgement that I might have been wrong–I could been kinder, more patient, more loving. And that admission is painful. I also cling to a persistent fantasy that someday soon I will reach that happily-ever-after place in my story. But, the truth is, life is no fairy tale.
This article is for spiritual seekers, Benedictine Oblates, anyone seeking to nurture a sacred way of life, and people practicing a 12-step program who want to explore centuries-old wisdom to support Step 11 (about praying for the knowledge of the will of God [Higher Power] and the strength to carry it out.) In this article,
Poets live with silence: the silence before the poem; the silence when the poem comes; the silence in between the words, as you drink the words, watch them glide through your mind, feel them slide down your throat toward your heart …. —Michael Shepherd, “Rumi’s Silence” Silence, poetry and prayer have something in common—they connect
What poets, monks and nuns know about silence Read More »
This blog post by poet and Benedictine Oblate Tracy Rittmueller begins with a reflection on the difficulty of learning to be compassionate with ourselves, and shows where to access all the free resources you need to begin practicing mindful self compassion.
61 Free Resources to support your mindful self-compassion practice Read More »
In search of a vibrant, sacred way of life Do you want to explore the mysterious, wild regions of living a vibrant, sacred way of life? Maybe you feel called to be an artist—potter, painter, dancer, musician, poet, crafter, or doodler. Perhaps you want to associate with people who will help you grow in wisdom,
How poetic and monastic practices empower a vibrant, sacred way of life Read More »
This is part 3 of the series 8 Things Poets and Monastics Can Teach Us About Happiness; with 8 Poems to Make Life More Meaningful. For part 1 of the series, go here. About words…. We think we know what words are—the spoken sounds and written letters we combine to form sentences to convey what we
8 Things poets and monastics know about the power of words Read More »