Welcome to Spiritually InFormed

here's what you can expect...

Hello!

I’m so glad you’re here!

This endeavor has been stirring in me for a while now! I’ve desired a place to share personal stories (or devotions) of how God is meeting me in everyday life, in hopes to inspire others, like yourself! My aim is to give you a chuckle and help you lean into what God may be doing in your own story by being somewhat of a mirror with mine. I want to create something that feels casual yet deeply meaningful; honest, playful, yet sincerely attuned to the ways God meets us in our ordinary days and invites us to be formed by His Spirit.

Each month in your inbox, you’ll find:
✨ A short story or reflection from my life (think magazine article in length)
🙏 A prayer and/or blessing for you, themed around the story
💭 Five thoughtful journal questions (or as I say with my directee’s “Prayer Projects”) for deeper reflection (this is where you get to lean in on your own formation!)

Mid-month I’m also going to post a little “Quote for the Journey” — a spark of inspiration to get you thinking and create a space for sharing and commenting. This will be an area for you to respond and connect with others over the topics in each quote for some communal interaction, if you choose. It’s a place for comments, questions, liking and sharing… the more social media area of this platform if your on Substack.

I’m going to start with just once a month for now because A.) of all I have two babies and B.) of all because I don’t want this to be just another devotional or newsletter that sits in your inbox that never get’s touched. I want to give you something you can sink down into and pursue once a month so you have time to ACTUALLY sit with God and prayerfully do the questions. When internet “things” become daily or even weekly I find it gets hard to keep up with and I really hope for you to have the time and space to dive into your heart and these questions.

To give you a clear sense of my plan: the first full reflection will be free, sharing a complete example of story, prayer, and reflection questions so you get what this SubStack is all about. All future reflections will be part of the paid subscription ($5/month), which also includes the midweek quotes and any other additional posts out of inspiration. There is also the yearly subscription where you get a little discount of $50/year (which is cheaper than one spiritual direction session- eep!)

After writing Boston Promises I got so much uplifting feedback about the prayers and the questions, so I want to keep writing and offering God centered content to build faith and connection. This "e-letter-devotional” is going to be a life-giving way to do that instead of ya’ll having to wait years for me to write another book. So far- I really enjoy the space Substack provides as it requires a higher commitment from all of us than a traditional blog or newsletter and I potential for more interaction with deep, solid, content. There’s also opportunity for me to add audio clips, sermons, video… there’s a lot to explore but for now I am most interested in offering these monthly devotions for you.

My desire is that these offerings create gentle pauses in your month; spaces where you can breathe, laugh, and listen for the sacred whisper of The Spirit beneath the noise. Where you can question what and who is forming you in order to lean a little bit more into how God wants to form you and release you into the man or woman he’s created you to be.

I pray you’ll consider joining this community whether to be a silent receiver of the devotions to do on your own or part of the engagement and conversations around the quotes, but how ever you decide to show up, you are welcome.

Here’s to being Spiritually InFormed (and formed), not in a heady or heavy way, but in the kind of way that makes us wake up to ourselves and wonder, “God where are you inviting me to lean in & explore what you’re doing in me, to grow me in Christ likeness”?

In His Love,
Jillene A. Cook 🌿
Spiritual Director | Writer | Retreat Creator

If you’d like to journey with me, hit “Subscribe” below. The first full post will be published in January and is a different take on “New Years Resolutions” that I think will really bless you!