How Centered Living Formed Me From the Inside Out

An Accidental 10-Week Journey

I did not deliberately seek out ReWire’s “Centered Living” cohort. I came across it almost incidentally and registered without much thought, unaware that I was stepping into a space that would meet a significant spiritual need in my life. What began as a simple sign-up unfolded into an experience of profound interior formation. In many ways, the cohort became the setting where the theological learning from my Spiritual Formation Certificate at Fuller moved from the classroom of ideas into the real landscape of my daily life.

The curriculum for our 10-week journey was Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton, a book I had only skimmed before but appreciated for its clarity and wisdom. Yet reading it deeply within the context of a guided cohort was entirely different. Each week focused on a single chapter, and our work was not merely to absorb the content but to practice the rhythm being presented.

The slow and intentional pace of this structure created space for reflection and invited a kind of honesty that is often difficult to access in the faster rhythms of ministry and family life. Through solitude, prayer, self-examination, discernment, and attention to the desires of the heart, I began to encounter my inner world with renewed clarity and compassion.

Why This Unexpected Experience Was Necessary

As the weeks passed, I became increasingly aware that the cohort was offering me something I did not realize I had been lacking: a practical theological framework that demanded embodiment. In the Spiritual Formation program, I had engaged deeply with the ideas of transformation, contemplative practice, and spiritual attentiveness. I learned the language of formation and the dynamics that shape the inner life. Yet “Centered Living” required me to grab these truths off of the shelf of my busyness and use them again within the reality of my own patterns and responses.

The cohort revealed the gap between what I understood intellectually and what I consistently practiced. I noticed how often I moved through my days without pausing to notice God’s nearness. I recognized the subtle ways anxiety informed my pace and how quickly I responded to external demands without consulting the deeper wisdom within. The cohort highlighted my need for a spiritual posture that was both anchored and attentive, especially in the complex terrain of ministry leadership, pastoral life, motherhood, and homemaking.

What the Cohort Taught Me About Myself

The most significant learning from these ten weeks was not a new concept but a clearer awareness of myself. The rhythm of reading, practicing, reflecting, and discussing created a steady mirror that revealed long-standing patterns. I noticed the places where I held tension in my body, often without acknowledging it. I realized how frequently I attempted to manage life through competence rather than surrender. I observed the parts of me that were tired, yearning for rest yet conditioned to press forward. And I realized, I really, really like small groups. 

Through this process, I began to appreciate that spiritual formation is not primarily about performing spiritual tasks but about consenting to the work of God within me. The cohort invited me to meet God in places I had overlooked, including grief, disappointment, unspoken desires, and the residue of old wounds. Every week was a reminder that the inner life is not a project to be completed but a sacred space to be tended with gentleness and truth.

How the Cohort Reordered My Inner Rhythm

Over time, a quiet internal shift began to take place. I began to listen more closely to what my body communicated, especially in moments of stress or decision-making. I found myself pausing throughout the day to breathe, to pray, and to return to the center where God waits with patience and kindness.

The practices from Sacred Rhythms became more than assignments. They became anchors.

• Solitude began to feel less like withdrawal and more like communion.
• Prayer became less about words and more about attentiveness.
• Discernment became a way of listening to what was life-giving and what was draining.
• Desire became a place of encounter rather than a source of suspicion.

Through these shifts, I discovered a way of being that was less reactive and more rooted. I felt myself becoming more aware of God’s presence in ordinary moments, and I recognized the invitation to live from a centered place rather than from the scattered energy that so often accompanies leadership.

What I Am Carrying Forward

Now that the cohort has ended, I remain grateful for the formation it initiated. Although the weekly meetings are over, the work continues in the quiet spaces of my daily life. I carry forward a renewed commitment to solitude and silence, not as spiritual achievements but as necessary environments for becoming who God is shaping me to be. I have a deeper appreciation for the slow work of God, which rarely aligns with cultural expectations but always produces lasting fruit.

I leave the cohort with a clearer sense of my inner landscape, a gentler posture toward my own limitations, and a greater willingness to listen. I am learning to trust that God works in the spaces I often rush past. I am learning to acknowledge my needs without shame and my desires without fear. Most of all, I am learning to live with a centered attentiveness that keeps me open to the presence of God in each moment.

This experience began as an accident, yet it became a necessary intervention. God used it to deepen my roots and widen my capacity for presence. The work of formation continues, and I step into the next season with gratitude for the rhythms that now shape my daily life and for the God who meets me faithfully within them.

Reflection Invitation

If you’d like to accidentally sign up for transformation, then stumble this way to ReWire’s website. You will not be disappointed. Click here to learn more.

A scripture to read: Psalm 131

A sermon to watch: Sing to It, Dee Hillman – Shekinah Christian Fellowship

A podcast for your drive: How Do I Stop Carrying What’s Not Mine? – Living Well with Dee & Jenn

A prayer to pray: Lord, You know how easily this holiday season fills with noise, hurry, and unending demands. Yet in this moment, I choose to slow my pace and make room for Your presence. Create space within me where Christ may settle into the places that have been rushed, overlooked, or left unattended. Teach me to look beneath the surface, to rest without striving, and to welcome the quiet work of transformation I have too often ignored. Walk with me in the ordinary rhythms of each day, and form my soul in Your peace. Amen.