Reflections on Ireland & Spiritual Practices That Refresh the Soul

There are times when the soul needs more than a day off. It needs a true reset. A sacred pause. A chance to step away from the noise and listen again for the voice of God.

In this episode of The Joy Prescription Podcast, Brooke Jack and I had a heartfelt conversation about my recent trip to Ireland and the spiritual practices that nourish us in everyday life. 

What made this conversation especially meaningful is that it was not simply about travel. It was about what happens when we give ourselves permission to step away, be still, and let God meet us in fresh ways.

When a long-postponed desire becomes a gift

The trip to Ireland began because my daughter had the opportunity to spend part of the summer there as part of a senior project that combined ministry and business experience. She was serving in Galway through a beautiful ministry called An Tobar Nua, helping in a café and outreach environment while learning on both the nonprofit and ministry side.

And of course, like many mothers, I initially pushed my own desire down.

I thought of all the reasons not to go. The medical practice. The expenses. The responsibilities. The many practical things that needed my attention. But after one conversation with a colleague who simply looked at me and said, “So when are you going to go visit her?” I realized how quickly I had dismissed something that would be deeply meaningful.

So I booked the flight.

Looking back, I can see that I was overdue not just for a vacation, but for a reset.

Designing it as a spiritual retreat

Once I decided to go, I knew I wanted the trip to be more than sightseeing. I wanted it to be a spiritual retreat.

Because I was traveling alone and my daughter would be working much of the time, I had long stretches of solitude. And rather than filling all of that space, I wanted to receive it.

I stayed in a simple little room about an hour’s walk from the café where my daughter was working. That turned out to be a gift. Each day I walked along a river trail, surrounded by beautiful foliage, flowers, and a kind of quiet that makes it easier to pray, reflect, and notice the presence of God.

There is something deeply healing about walking alone with the Lord in a beautiful place.

Diamond Mountain and the “unforced rhythms of grace”

One of the most memorable parts of the trip was my visit to Connemara National Park, where I set out to hike Diamond Mountain.

The weather was exactly what you might expect in Ireland: rain, wind, mist, and more rain. I arrived in town to a full downpour and spent a couple of hours waiting it out in a pub, praying, reading, and journaling. Eventually the rain let up enough for me to begin the climb.

Not long after that, the mist returned. Then the wind intensified. Then the rain came back full force.

I got completely soaked.

And yet, it became one of the most sacred parts of the trip.

As I climbed, I found myself in a continual conversation with the Lord, and He brought Matthew 11 to mind — especially that beautiful phrase from The Message: “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” That phrase stayed with me in such a powerful way.

I sensed Jesus reminding me that I do not have to strive. I do not have to strain. I can walk with Him. I can trust Him. I can let Him teach me how to live more freely and lightly.

That message met me deeply.

There on that mountain — in the wind, the rain, the beauty, and the vulnerability of being so completely out in the elements — I felt the nearness of God in a profound way.

Psalm 23 on the way down

At a certain point, I made the wise decision not to finish the full loop. The wind had become intense enough that I literally sat down at one point because I was afraid of being knocked over.

And on the way down, the Lord brought Psalm 23 to mind.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want…”

That Psalm became deeply personal in that moment. He leads. He restores. He comforts. He is with us — not only in green pastures and beside still waters, but in stormy places too.

That day on Diamond Mountain was intense and beautiful and unforgettable. I wrote down everything I could afterward in my little journal, grateful that I had thought to bring a plastic bag to protect it from the rain.

And even now, I feel that I am still carrying what God spoke to me there.

The gift of journaling

One of the spiritual practices Brooke asked me about in the episode was journaling, and it truly has become one of the most important rhythms in my life.

I have often told patients for years that journaling can be helpful, but for me it became deeply meaningful when I began bringing my real questions to God on paper.

I started writing down the things that were weighing on me. The decisions I needed help making. The burdens I was carrying. The questions I was asking Him.

And over time, I found that He answers.

Sometimes it is immediate. Sometimes it unfolds over months or years. But He does answer.

Journaling has also become a place for gratitude, praise, and reflection. It is one of the ways I process what God is doing in my life and remain attentive to His invitations.

And since Ireland, one of those invitations has been especially clear: He is inviting me into a lifestyle of unforced rhythms of grace.

Small spiritual practices matter

One of the themes Brooke and I returned to in this conversation is that the spiritual life does not have to be complicated or grand.

Yes, there may be times for a more extended retreat. But often, the most meaningful practices are the small, manageable ones we can return to consistently.

Brooke shared about her prayer walks with her chocolate lab — those simple, steady moments of walking, surrendering, and listening to God. I loved that image so much.

We also talked about creative rest, little pockets of time in nature, taking pictures of what is above and below you, and letting beauty interrupt the task-driven momentum of the day.

I shared one of my own simple rhythms too: what I call “vitamin G” at lunchtime — a few minutes outside in the sunlight, walking, breathing, and thanking God for as many blessings as I can name.

These small pauses matter.

They help us reconnect.

They nourish the nervous system.

They shift us out of striving and back into gratitude.

You do not have to make it grand

I think many women miss the invitation to spiritual nourishment because they assume it has to be elaborate. A whole retreat. A full quiet morning. A perfect atmosphere. A beautiful journal spread. A long uninterrupted block of time.

But often, what is most life-giving is much more ordinary.

A five-minute gratitude walk.
A short prayer before lunch.
A candle lit during evening prayer.
A few lines in a journal before bed.
A quiet pause in the car.
A walk in your neighborhood park.

As we said in the episode, start small and make it manageable. That is often what leads to consistency.

And consistency is what shapes a life.

A final blessing

One of the things I hope listeners took away from this conversation is that closeness with God is available right now.

Not only on a mountaintop in Ireland.

Not only on a retreat.

Not only in a particularly “spiritual” season.

Right here, in the middle of ordinary life, through small intentional steps toward Him.

As I shared at the end of the episode, your spiritual life does not have to be complicated or grand. It can begin today.

Listen to the episode

You can listen to the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkrsU-kZ3bE 

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