Examen

I am going to start doing The Ignatian Workout: Daily Spiritual Exercises for a Healthy Faith. Before I begin to do the workouts, I'm going to try to do an exercise called the examen for a few days.

1. Pray for understanding.
2. Give thanks.
3. Pay attention to your feelings.
--What feelings were most strong and why?
--Ask God to help you understand where the feelings come from and what they tell you about your spiritual life.
4. Examine one of your feelings.
--Your strongest feeling surely points to something important. What is it?
--Allow the feeling to lead you in conversation with God.
5. Look ahead.
--How will this affect your choices in the future?
--Are you actively creating the life you should, or are you a passive spectator?

--Are your choices determined by the people and circumstances around you, or do you create opportunities to live as you are able?

--Pray that God will lead you toward choices that are more "life-giving."

6. Close with The Lord's Prayer.