Below you will find some of the topics of my workshops and retreats, as well as reviews from attendees.
The Life You Choose: Understanding Your “Coulds,” “Shoulds,” and “Wants” in Order to Better Shape the Life You Choose
Synopsis: Together, we explore the influences on our decision-making, from our capabilities to expectations of ourselves and others, the “rules” placed on our lives, and finally, our own desires. By becoming more aware of these factors, we can be more intentional about how they impact our choices. More empowered decision-making means a better us for a better life.
Prayerful Kitchen: Finding Sabbath Moments in Everyday Life
Synopsis: We understand “sabbath” to mean rest and, ideally, should be observed for a full 24-hour period weekly. But who has time for that? Lacking the time, we feel guilt and shame for not making time for God. By turning our focus to our intentions, we can transform everyday habits and actions into small sabbath moments.
Storytelling and Identity: How the Stories We Tell Both Convey and Shape Who We Are
Synopsis: We have favorite stories we tell about ourselves, our friends, our families, and our communities. When we share these stories, we might intend to amuse, show empathy, or comfort. In every instance we convey some of our identity to the listener but also reinforce for ourselves who we are and where we come from. So, do these stories still accurately reflect how we view ourselves, or is it time to reframe, retell, or even shelve some of our most often-told stories?
Death, Grief, Loss, and All the Other Things We Don’t Talk about
Synopsis: In the winter of 2022, I published my book, Phe and the Work of Death. Since then, friends and strangers alike have shared with me how the book has helped ease their memories and experiences of death. I have had the honor of working with groups during retreats, classes, and appearances, reflecting together on how death has changed us all, how poorly we in the United States deal with death, some of the unexplained experiences with deceased loved ones, and our shared sense of helplessness when wanting to comfort friends and family members who have experienced loss. By discussing many of the taboo topics around death and grief, we feel less alone in our losses and healing.
What Attendees Have to Say:
Mary’s gentle leadership guided our team in a valuable reflective retreat in 2023. She facilitated an important conversation around the Whys of how we navigate working in the child welfare nonprofit space. We are using the takeaways from the session daily to direct our work.
Lane G.
I continue to enjoy the many contributions Mary Reynolds Hemmer has made in my life journey. I found her book, Phe and the Work of Death, enlightening as we deal with our death and the death of love ones. Her workshop was a gathering of ladies who were encouraged to be “ok” with sharing our feelings. I enjoy regularly reading her blog Prayerful Kitchen.
LeTrelle S.
Prayerful Kitchen 