am one of those people who chooses a word for the year. The word usually reveals itself through prayer and the themes the Holy Spirit keeps recalling as I attempt to grow in my faith.
In 2020, my word of the year was JOY. I thought to myself, this is going to be easy! And fun! The year of joy!
And then, 2020 happened. I live in Seattle, where the first wave of the pandemic hit.
Read MoreDon't miss the chance to hear firsthand how you can discover joy in the everyday and how we might open our hearts to it more fully.
Read MoreShemaiah Gonzalez invites us to redirect our gaze to hope, finding inspiration in St. Paul's letter to the Romans.
Read MoreShemaiah traces out the path that led her into discovering joy and monasteries and in time her new book, Undaunted Joy: The Revolutionary Act of Cultivating Delight.
Read MoreI had the pleasure of sitting down with THE Courtney Ellis to take about Joy on her podcast The Thing With Feathers Podcast I also mention my least favorite bird which also may be a favorite.
Read More“I went to a monastery for the weekend. I learned God was peace — pure, unadulterated, complete peace.” Read this article about my journey to embracing silence:
Read MoreMy book Undaunted Joy is now a 5-day reading plan on YouVersion ! If you'd like to get a glimpse of the book and the joy it provides, this is a great opportunity to do so.
Read MoreToday we’re talking about joy. It can be a hard thing to hold onto in this moment: The headlines are scary; our lives are full of stress and worry; and, everywhere we turn there seems to be some new reason to be afraid.
Read MoreDavid Deavel perceives the spiritual depth in the my deceivingly simple book Undaunted Joy. Grateful for his gorgeous review for Catholic World Report.
Read MoreThe small, everyday moments of courage are where we learn to be brave for the big moments.
Read MoreI now understand the saying, bone-tired, for it is how I feel today. Yes, there has been more at work than usual, but there’s also been driving the kids to violin and ju-jitsu lessons and the long lines at the big box store and phone calls with those suffering from loss and illness, and I just feel…depleted. I have no more left to give. I must rest.
I will be reading from my book Undaunted Joy: The Revolutionary Act of Cultivating Delight at St James Cathedral May 21 at 7pm. Join us for a few stories and conversation. The book will be available for purchase.
Read MoreDelighted to be speaking at St. Barbara’s Spring Tea on The Power of Stories to Shape and Encourage Our Faith. It will be a beautiful and encouraging time together.
Read MoreHow do you even begin to get ideas on what to write: let alone something joyful?
In this generative workshop we will look at work from three joyful writers. Being in conversation with other writers help us develop our own pieces.
Read MoreCelebrated the launch of Undaunted Joy at the Seattle Public Library
Read MoreDuring this online gathering, we will explore common sources of discouragement for spiritual writers as well as strategies we can adopt to cultivate joy.
Read MorePreview of my audio book read by Nancy Pearson
Read MoreAt a time in which the good, inspiring, and delightful is seemingly overshadowed by the sheer volume of the awful, difficult, and upsetting, Shemaiah Gonzalez’ Undaunted Joy: The Revolutionary Act of Cultivating Delight is an invitation to pause and notice the beauty of the lives we are living. In this collection of essays, she chronicles moments of joy, noting as she goes along that this way of seeing took time to cultivate.
Read MoreWe all want a bit of joy.
Commercials advertise for it. Politicians claim voting for their party will bring you joy. Apparently even eating certain foods will conjure a bit of joy like a magic potion.
Read MoreThis morning I jumped off the treadmill at 5:40am and into a side room at the gym to talk to Iowa’s Catholic Morning Show. We had an energizing fast paced chat about all things JOY. Listen in!
Read MoreThrives on moments where storytelling, art and faith collide.
