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Celia A. Miller

Helping you slow down, seek still moments, and behold God's presence with you in the everyday

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    • An Introduction to Christian Spiritual Practices: A Blog Series Exploring Different Christian Spiritual Practices
    • ‘His’: a 7-part Blog Series on Living From a Place of Being God’s Beloved
    • ‘Outpourings of the Heart’: a Blog Series on Exploring the Psalms of David and How He Related to God
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Celia A. Miller

Helping you slow down, seek still moments, and behold God's presence with you in the everyday

  • About
  • The Blog
    • An Introduction to Christian Spiritual Practices: A Blog Series Exploring Different Christian Spiritual Practices
    • ‘His’: a 7-part Blog Series on Living From a Place of Being God’s Beloved
    • ‘Outpourings of the Heart’: a Blog Series on Exploring the Psalms of David and How He Related to God
  • Books by Me
  • The Beholding Co. on Etsy
  • Weekly Newsletter: Writings of a Beholder
  • My Book List
  • Featured On
  • Contact Me
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Everything on my Etsy shop, The Beholding Co., is Everything on my Etsy shop, The Beholding Co., is 15% off through Monday! The Beholding Co. provides contemplative resources to help you slow down, seek still moments, and behold God’s presence with you in the everyday 🌿 Here are some items that you can grab at a discount: ▫️A copy of Be Still & Know, my newly released Advent devotional that helps you slow down and seek still moments during the Christmas season ▫️Advent-themed breath prayer cards ▫️Breath prayer cards from the Psalms for anxiety and gratitude ▫️A handheld wooden cross for prayer time, comfort, or to keep with you when you travel ▫️A Psalm 62:1 spiral bound journal I pray these resources would bless you in your journey of beholding more of God with you in each moment 💛 shop now at the link in my bio! blessings, celia #celiaamiller #behold #thebeholdingco #etsyshopowner #etsyshop #blackfridaysales #sale #etsysale #contemplativeresources #contemplativelife #advent #breathprayer #resources #shopnow #hopewriterlife #faith #slowdown #slowliving #bestill #stillness
A rich, sweet life is made of small wonders; littl A rich, sweet life is made of small wonders; little pockets of time that may seem insignificant while you’re in them, but prove to be the cement that makes the foundation of your life unshakable. Yesterday, making pumpkin lattés, pumpkin cookies, watching home videos, filling our stomachs and our hearts while laughing until our faces hurt and our souls burst proved to be one of those sacred, small moments that echos throughout eternity. “…and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me.” Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before Him.” - Deuteronomy 26:10 This is the soil of my life — these people, these moments, and I rejoice in the goodness and sweetness of God within each and every one 💛 Glory, praise and honor, I lift to Him. All of it is sacred, every moment holy, because He’s right there — right here — within it all. peace be with you, celia #celiaamiller #behold #thanksgiving #thankful #grateful #gratitude #rejoice #firstfruits #bowdown #sacredmoments #everymomentholy #holyisthelord #praisegod #contemplativelife
Happy Thanksgiving from mine to yours 💛 Happy Thanksgiving from mine to yours 💛
The Shepherd knows that without quietness and rest The Shepherd knows that without quietness and rest, wholeness is useless. And unrest comes when we forget Who Christ is. But the God Who foresees and allows the drought also provides the quiet waters that promise to refresh your tired, weary soul. The God Who is all too familiar with your desire to know what’s next holds a lantern to the path that leads to Him. The Shepherd Who knows your fears and sees the pain of the storm you face stands with you in the fight, comforting you with the truth that He has already overcome. The Lord Who hears your cry for community and belonging and breaks when your heart does at the sound of others’ rejection prepares a place for you to sit at His table for all of eternity. You are forever accepted, forever cared for, forever loved by the Lord, Who is your Shepherd. Each time the sting of lack threatens to steal your peace, God’s presence whispers, “Come to me, Beloved, and I will fill the holes in your heart with my love. I am faithful to provide everything you need and more.” 🕯️❄️🎄🤍 This is an excerpt from Be Still & Know, my new Advent eBook devotional that aims to help you cultivate still moments in God’s presence this Advent season. The devotional begins on December 1st and goes to December 25th. Each day of this devotional is going to begin with a quote for you to contemplate, an invitation into silence and stillness with the Lord before moving on to your Scripture reading and devotional reading. The day will then close with a prayer and a reflection question for you to ponder, pray, or journal about with the Holy Spirit. You can grab your copy at the link in my bio 💛 blessings, celia #celiaamiller #behold #advent #advent2022 #bestillandknow #ebook #devotional #etsyshopowner #faith #untousachildisborn #stillness #silence #contemplativelife #comeasyouare
Today didn’t begin the way I would’ve liked. Today didn’t begin the way I would’ve liked. I work remotely full-time, so when my work laptop decided this morning that it would no longer hold a charge — thank you very much — I panicked. I spent a lot of time on the phone today with my IT team, and had to set up emails and tasks on another device. It was jarring and annoying to say the least. But if my laptop hadn’t stopped working, then my very nice IT guy wouldn’t have told me to go to Best Buy to see if a different charger would work (spoiler, it didn’t), and then I wouldn’t have ended up at a discount bookstore right across the street. And I wouldn’t have picked up this hidden gem, Savor, by @sniequist 💛 This is the day the Lord has made, and even though it was rocky and weird, He was still in it. He always is. Thanks be to God. I’d like to share with you a beautiful excerpt from my new devotional that I’m already in love with. I hope Shauna’s words bless you as much as they blessed me today. “You have stories worth telling, memories worth remembering, dreams worth working toward, a body worth feeding, a soul worth tending, and beyond that, the God of the universe dwells within you, the true culmination of super and natural. You are more than dust and bones You are spirit and power and image of God.” selah, celia #liturgyofthelittlethings day 22 💛 #celiaamiller #behold #savor #savoring #devotional #faith #pause #notice #payattention #attentive #sacredlistening #contemplativelife
For most of us, this week tends to look and feel a For most of us, this week tends to look and feel a little crazy. Actually, the next month is probably going to feel that way as we hurry from family and Friendsgiving dinners to Christmas shopping and everything else that falls into that awkward, stressful in-between space that the Holiday season seems to invoke in all of us. Maybe you feel a little bit of anxiety or worry as Thanksgiving approaches, or sorrow for a loved one lost. I know I’m feeling a bit short-circuited, and perhaps you can relate. That’s why I believe this week’s blog post comes at a good time for both of us, friend. Because today, we’re going to talk about living an unhurried life and how living unhurried and unrushed is actually what we were created for. I’m also going to introduce you to a practice that you may find life-giving as you prepare your heart for the Holiday season. That practice is called contemplative prayer, and you can read about (or listen to) it at the link in my bio. blessings, celia #celiaamiller #behold #newblogpost #linkinbio #bestill #stillness #slowliving #unhurried #slowdown #livingunhurried #contemplativeprayer #contemplativelife #spiritualpractice #hopewriterlife #sacredlistening
As a writer and an introvert, I tend to spend a lo As a writer and an introvert, I tend to spend a lot of time in my head. This is fine, for a while. Until being inside my head causes me to forget what’s right in front of me; the sacredness of the present moment. To get out of my head and back into my body, I’ll sometimes take a walk, workout, or cook. But other times, I sit down with Abba, light my candles, drink my tea and close my eyes. With eyes closed, I’ll begin to pay attention to my senses, like the way my feet feel on the carpet, or the warmth of the coffee mug in my hands. I’ll open my ears to hear the far off train, or the dog’s nails clashing with the hardwood floor as he makes his way down the hallway. Then, I’ll tune into the smells of my home; of the candles or the essential oil trickling out of my diffuser, or even the remnants of what we cooked for lunch or breakfast that morning. By engaging my senses, I’m grounded to the present where I’m able to receive God with me and give thanks for the moment. This grounding practice invites me to be attentive to my life, what’s going on within me, and the Holy Spirit. What practices do you use to get outside your head and back into your body? Back into the present moment? peace be with you, celia #celiaamiller #behold #grounding #gratitude #presentmoment #bestill #senses #bepresent #givethanks #grounded #contemplativelife #groundingpractice #hopewriterlife
I’m thankful for friends like these who come as I’m thankful for friends like these who come as they are, allowing us room to come as we are. That’s a rare gift in this world and one I will cherish forever 🌿 #liturgyofthelittlethings day 20 💛 blessings, celia #celiaamiller #behold #comeasyouare #liturgyofthelittlethings #friends #community #connection #gift #faith
I look out my window and ever so softly, snow fall I look out my window and ever so softly, snow falls to the ground. Not the kind that comes all at once, fast and furious, piling up on the ground in a panic. But the kind that falls slowly, sporadically, gently landing on the ground for a moment before silently melting away. The sky is a bit gray, but evidence of the sun and patches of blue sky are beginning to poke through. The brilliant color of the cold dawn sky and the slow descending of the snow mix together to form a holy hush that covers the morning in stillness, quieting everything around and within me. I’ve always encountered the presence of God much like this; a slow, gentle, tender descent over my soul that hushes my worries and quiets my insecurities, leaving traces of Love everywhere as He reaches out to hold my empty hands. ❄️ 🌿💛🕯️ In today’s Writings of a Beholder letter, I invite you to step with me into the attentive life; beholding God’s presence with you in all things. I share with you three ways in which you can do this, and leave you with a blessing For Presence by John O’Donohue. You can read it by clicking the link in my bio, and be sure to subscribe while you’re there ☺️ peace be with you, celia #celiaamiller #behold #writingsofabeholder #winter #stillness #bestill #theattentivelife #attentive #aware #godspresence #presence #bepresent #faith #contemplativelife #hopewriterlife #fridayletter #weeklyletter #soulcare
Rays of gold poked through the November grey sky t Rays of gold poked through the November grey sky today and I just had to capture it before they disappeared behind the clouds again. And as I did, I noticed a mourning dove had decided to make our fence her resting place for a bit. Her presence was a welcomed blessing, a small surprise in the midst of the mundane, reminding me that the more I look for beauty, the more I find it. #liturgyofthelittlethings day 17 🕊️☀️ blessings, celia #celiaamiller #behold #doves #goldenrays #novembersky #smallblessings #faith #contemplativelife #hopewriterlife #bestill #sacredlistening
At first, the silence was a bit intimidating. We At first, the silence was a bit intimidating. We were all encouraged to turn off our phones or at least put them on airplane mode as a way of truly disconnecting from the world and quieting our souls in Jesus. What a reminder it was for me that He really is all I need. Once I settled into my own rhythm of silence with Abba, it quickly became for me like coming home to a language I forgot I knew how to speak. It washed over me like a fresh rainfall, both cleansing and healing. That first night in my room was spent reading from The Celtic Daily Prayer Book in candlelight. Here, I continued to return to a poem, An Invocation of the Holy Spirit, for the rest of my time at The Hermitage. This poem became my own prayer. Most powerful Holy Spirit, Come down Upon us And subdue us. From Heaven, where the ordinary Is made glorious, And the glory seems But ordinary, Bathe us With the brilliance Of Your light Like dew. 🍂💛🕯️📖 This is an excerpt from this week’s blog post where I share with you my written reflections from going on my first guided silent retreat at The Hermitage. You can listen or read more about silent retreating at the link in my bio. blessings, celia #celiaamiller #behold #thehermitage #silence #silentretreat #retreating #resting #bestill #peacebewithyou #writtenreflections #reflections #reflect #contemplativelife #hopewriterlife #faith
Mother Teresa once said, “Listen in silence, be Mother Teresa once said, “Listen in silence, because if your heart is full of other things, you cannot hear the Voice of God.” In April of this year, I felt an invitation from the Lord to practice a regular rhythm of silence, whether that be 5 or 10 minutes of centering prayer or 20 minutes of sitting contemplatively in silence with the Holy Spirit as I enjoyed His company and He mine. I have found silence to be a sort of homecoming for me. An invitation to come as I am and rest in God and learn to simply just be. It’s become a space for me where my soul is able to breathe a little deeper, my heart growing lighter, as I’m filled with the fullness of the Love of God. So when my spiritual director mentioned to me this past summer that she would be hosting a guided silent retreat in October, I felt a deep desire to go and be silent before God in community with others. And that’s exactly what my husband and I did, and it was a deeply rich experience that neither one of us will ever forget. Today, I’m sharing with you my written reflections on my personal experience as I ventured into my first-ever guided silent retreat. So, if you have ever wondered about silent retreating but haven’t dipped your toes in the water for fear of the unknown, or if you feel drawn to silence but don’t know where to begin or why it would be beneficial for you, I think this post will be a great help to you today. My prayer is that these reflections of mine would act as a guide, outlining what it might be like for you to enter into a similar experience. I’ll be sharing with you an overview of my experience, what stirred within my soul on retreat, what the Lord revealed, and major highlights that were especially profound for me. Click the link in my bio to read Reflections from The Hermitage: A Guided Silent Retreat 🍂 peace be with you, celia #celiaamiller #behold #silence #silentretreat #retreating #rest #bestill #faith #reflections #reflection #contemplativelife #soulcare #newblogpost #linkinbio #hopewriterlife #stillness #quiet #sacredlistening
Advent, derived from the Latin word Adventus, mean Advent, derived from the Latin word Adventus, means to come. It signifies ‘the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event’. It typically begins on the last Sunday of November and continues until the eve of Christ’s birth on December 24th. The first day of Advent is officially two weeks away! And I believe it to be a time of coming as you are into the presence of God as you allow the reality of His coming down in flesh to quiet your hurried heart. That’s why I created Be Still & Know, my Advent eBook devotional that provides you space to slow down and seek still moments in God’s presence during the Advent season. You can purchase your copy on my Etsy shop, The Beholding Co., at the link in my bio today 🕯️💛 There are also Advent-themed breath prayer cards available for purchase to help your mind, heart, and spirit commune closely with Christ as you prepare your heart to receive Him. I pray that you would encounter the powerful and comforting Love of the Holy Spirit this Advent season. blessings, celia #celiaamiller #behold #bestill #bestillandknow #advent #advent2022 #adventebook #etsyshopowner #smallbusinessowner #thebeholdingco #breathprayer #adventbreathprayer #contemplativelife #hopewriterlife #faith #stillness #slowdown #slowliving
There’s something about hot soup that warms the There’s something about hot soup that warms the soul and pushes back the cold that November always brings with her. If you’re feeling the cold of winter in your body and soul today, too, may the warmth of Light fill you. May hope flicker and joy dance on the walls of your heart as the Presence of the Holy One hushes every worried, anxious thought. May you look into the week ahead through the lens of Love, returning slowly from Sunday’s rest to the good and faithful work the Lord has waiting for you. And may your soul find its own kind of stillness amidst the noise, the warmth of peace that comes from resting in God alone. peace be with you, celia #liturgyofthelittlethings day 13 🌿 #celiaamiller #behold #rest #sabbath #sabbathsunday #mysoulfindsrestingodalone #psalm62 #ablessing #blessing #soupseason #warmth #lightofjesus #peacebewithyou #bestill #love #contemplativelife #hopewriterlife #sacredlistening
Poems give our souls language for words we have tr Poems give our souls language for words we have trouble speaking aloud, and in this season of my life, I’ve quite enjoyed writing some of my own. This morning, I woke to the winter season’s first real snowfall and it sparked within me creativity and the desire put words to the beauty of it all. A prayer written as a poem. So here are my written words, my own embracing of and offering to winter in the form of a poem. I pray it awakens in you your own holy desires. An Embrace of Winter ❄️ The snow falls soft as a whisper, Barely audible in a world full of loud. It’s a sign that winter is coming, or perhaps already here. This year, I’m ready for it. Winter comes to me slowly, like An old friend, covering the raw and Exposed places within where Summer’s light left me weary. I welcome the cold that settles Over my soul like a blanket Sheltering me, healing me, making Me whole. I welcome winter, its barrenness and Dormancy. For without the slow, Cold seasons, we cannot grow. peace be with you, celia #liturgyofthelittlethings day 12 📖 #celiaamiller #behold #snowfall #poems #poetry #sacredordinary #sacredlistening #contemplativelife #hopewriterlife #beauty #creativity #writing #winter #anembraceofwinter #slowliving #bestill #hushed #pause #selah #offering
“Hurry is the great enemy of the life of the spi “Hurry is the great enemy of the life of the spirit.” - Leighton Ford, The Attentive Life In Luke 10, Jesus gently told the harried and hurried Martha that only one thing was needed, and that Mary had chosen that One thing; she had chosen what was better. She had chosen to give her full attention to the presence of God despite how incredulous it may have looked to the outside world. “She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.” ‭‭(Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭39) In her sitting, Mary ceased from striving, surrendering to a slower pace; surrendering to the real and eternal rhythms of grace and to a Voice Who made her whole. May we be a people who find peace in our own surrendering to the stillness that the Spirit continuously invites us into. And may we be more like Mary, sitting at the holy feet of Jesus in a world that demands we stand on our own. peace be with you, celia #liturgyofthelittlethings day 11 🌿 #celiaamiller #behold #selah #rest #sabbath #sabbathrest #luke10 #maryandmartha #theattentivelife #pause #listen #sacredlistening #contemplativelife #hopewriterlife #slowerpace #sit
Have you ever noticed that when the leaves fall, t Have you ever noticed that when the leaves fall, things once hidden within the trees become seen? Like this empty little bird’s nest 🪹 What a beautiful reminder that when we choose to let go, things hidden in our own souls can come into the Light and be made whole. “My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.” - Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭15‬ ‭ peace be with you, celia #liturgyofthelittlethings day 10 🌿 #celiaamiller #behold #letgo #wholeness #surrender #birdsnest #selah #rest #sabbath #lightofjesus #madewhole #contemplativelife #hopewriterlife #faith #autumnbeauty
Poetry for me has recently become a new way of lis Poetry for me has recently become a new way of listening and resting in words that are not my own. Words that speak beauty, name longing, and invite you to step into the unknown; into the secret place with the Holy Spirit where light illuminates what is dark. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the poetry of John O’Donohue in his book of blessings, and I wanted to share one of those blessings in the form of poetry with you today. Receive his words as your own blessing, and allow it to saturate your soul, noticing what stirs within as you read them 💛 A morning blessing from John O’Donohue’s, To Bless the Space Between Us: “I arise today In the name of Silence Womb of the Word, In the name of Stillness Home of Belonging, In the name of the Solitude Of the Soul and the Earth. I arise today Blessed by all things, Wings of breath, Delight of eyes, Wonder of whisper, Intimacy of touch, Eternity of soul, Urgency of thought, Miracle of health, Embrace of God. May I live this day Compassionate of heart, Clear in word, Graciousness in awareness, Courageous in thought, Generous in Love.” peace be with you, celia #liturgyofthelittlethings day 9 🌿📖 #celiaamiller #behold #poetry #words #toblessthespacebetweenus #johnodonohue #sacredlistening #contemplativelife #faith #reading #resting #bestill #pause #leanin #be #hopewriterlife #selah
I used to think that spiritual practices consisted I used to think that spiritual practices consisted of only what I read about in books; breath prayer, centering prayer, Daily Examen, etc. That was before I fell in love with sunrises and was reminded that the purpose of engaging in spiritual practices isn’t to be spiritual. Their purpose is to draw us into a closer communion with God. This should always be our deepest longing. Not the law, not the regulations, not even the rhythms themselves which can become their own kind of chains. But constantly drawing close to the Love of God which is always closer than we realize. The truth I know now down deep in my bones is that every breath, every activity, every sunrise, every moment is an invitation into communion with our ever-present God, making life itself one big spiritual rhythm to breathe in, behold, and step into. There’s a quote by Paula D’Arcy that echoes this and which I have continuously returned to again and again, “God comes to you disguised as your life.” So I stood outside my house early this morning, just as the sky was waking. And I breathed in grace and exhaled gratitude for my God Who comes to me in all sorts of ways. For the God Who comes to me in the beauty of His sunrise. peace be with you, celia #liturgyofthelittlethings day 8 🌅 #celiaamiller #behold #spiritualrhythms #spiritualpractices #sunrise #earlymorning #love #faith #contemplativelife #hopewriterlife #sacredordinarydays #selah #bestill #pause #commune
I’ve been trying out a new daily Sabbath rhythm I’ve been trying out a new daily Sabbath rhythm where I light my candles and oil lamp, sit down on the couch, and drink a cup of dandelion tea with Jesus in the late afternoon. Most of the time I sit in silence, resting in His nearness, listening for His Voice. Other times I talk to Him or read. In all of it, I’m attentive to His presence right next to me and all around and within me, forever grateful that He’s always with me in everything I do. There’s a sacredness in the boiling of water for tea, in the lighting of candles and oil lamps. They’re invitations for me to come as I am, to bring whatever the day brought with me into the Spirit’s kind presence. What are those life-giving rhythms for you? What seemingly small things invite you to pause and remember the Divine with you? blessings, celia #liturgyofthelittlethings day 7 🌿☕️🕯️ #celiaamiller #behold #pause #sabbathrhythm #teawithjesus #sabbathrest #rhythmsofrest #contemplativelife #hopewriterlife #oillamps #candles #tea #lifegiving #sacredlistening #soulcare
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Recent Posts.

  • Living Unhurried: An Invitation Into Contemplative Prayer November 22, 2022
  • Reflections from The Hermitage: A Guided Silent Retreat November 15, 2022
  • An Introduction to Be Still & Know: An eBook Devotional Inviting You to Seek Still Moments in God’s Presence this Advent Season November 1, 2022
  • Autumn: A Season of Dormancy October 18, 2022
  • Altars & Open Doors: Learning to Behold God in the Waiting September 27, 2022
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