Even though it’s been months since my last post, I’ve been reluctant to write this: Looking for Faith is on hiatus. The conversations that I’ve had here and on other Unitarian Universalist blogs have been such an important part of my spiritual life that it’s hard to say even a temporary “goodbye.” But it’s important that visitors to this site as well as longtime readers know why the posting frequency has slowed dramatically. And it’s necessary that I gracefully accept and acknowledge this change in my spiritual life. 

My passion for promoting Unitarian Universalism hasn’t wavered; in fact, it has grown. While I no longer contribute frequently to the online conversation as an individual voice, I have the chance to help other Unitarian Universalists share our faith online through my work at the Unitarian Universalist Association and at Welcoming Websites. The diversity within Unitarian Universalism is one of our religion’s strengths and it’s inspiring to help raise awareness of the many ways that Unitarian Universalists are providing hope and healing to the world.

It’s also been wonderful to stay connected with Unitarian Universalist blogger friends (including many of those I first met through Looking for Faith) on Facebook. I enjoy continuing to read about the joys and insights of these fellow UU travelers.

At the same time, I’ve been exploring other ways of nourishing my spiritual life that go beyond direct engagement with Unitarian Universalism. At the start of the new year, I found myself wondering why I felt the God’s voice had been rather quiet in my life in recent months. One possibility, I realized, was that I simply wasn’t making enough room for God.

Making more space for God required a fresh appraisal of how I spent my time outside of work. I started asking myself more seriously, “Which of my commitments are making me feel more alive and more connected with the world? Are there activities to which I’m giving time and energy that are really just habits?” And I surprised myself by spending time cleaning and organizing our apartment, and giving away a tremendous amount of old stuff.

Thankfully, all of this space in my mind, in my physical space, and in my schedule, has in fact brought new sources of joy and inspiration into my life. I’ve started taking art classes again and have excavated and organized all of my old supplies, to make it easy to dive into a new project when the spirit moves me. In addition to rediscovering an old hobby, I’ve found myself unusually drawn to trying new hobbies and seeing new things. 

So while there’s some sadness in putting this blog on pause, I’m also feeling contentment about what this blog has been; gratitude for all of the seekers and fellow Unitarian Universalists who shared their questions, insights and supportive comments here; joy at where my spiritual journey has led thus far; and desire to continue looking — in some old places and some new ones — for faith.