About Me
My name is Donna Maukonen, and I’ve worked nine years at a bank, six years at a radio ministry non-profit and three years as an associate producer for local TV and radio websites. I’ve run my own business as a website designer. I’ve been through government takeovers, lay-offs, unemployment, and the ups and downs of self-employment. I lost my dad when I was four and my mother when she was 91.
I’ve been in church since my conversion in 10th grade. I’ve seen the beauty of Jesus’s body caring in love, and like most folks, I have a few scars, too. I began a reconstruction of my own faith about ten years ago, and came out the other side renewed in my faith by God’s grace and the Spirit’s patient counsel.
In the midst of my reconstruction I was introduced to the contemplative areas of Christianity through authors like Dallas Willard and Gerald May, whose books joined other favorites in my bookshelf (like C.S. Lewis, Vance Havner, Madeline L’Engle, to name a few.) I learned about things like spiritual formation, walking labyrinths, centering prayer, and Ignatian spirituality. What started as a discernment process between the vocations of counseling and life coaching led me to a clear call to become a spiritual director.
I’m a third year intern spiritual director in the Audire program and a member of Spiritual Directors International.
I attend a credally orthodox, non-denominational church.
I graduated from Ethnos360 Bible Institute.
I have a BA from the University of Central Florida (Liberal Studies Fine Art and Computer Programming, English Writing minor).
I am a recovering creative who enjoys making art with things and words.
I care for two horses twice a week and garden when the weather is favorable.
I write a blog at my website, Living Selah.
I love creating photo/text graphics of quotes and scripture that I share on Instagram.
About Living Selah
I love a mystery. Selah is a word of mystery. Its meaning puzzles bible scholars, although it shows up in the book of Psalms 71 times and Habakuk 3 times. Some scholars view it as a direction to musicians to pause or take a breath. Some think it may be related to the Hebrew word “calah” which means “to weigh in the balance.” Still others think it’s a combination of two words that mean “to praise” and “to lift up.” My soul responds to all these meanings. I get so busy in the days, weeks, months, and years, and as I gain years, the swiftness of time astonishes me. Do you feel this too? Too often the present rushes at us, running rough shod with all its urgencies. We need to, even in the midst of what we might call “holy” or “spiritual”, take time to rest – take a breath – weigh – and praise. This is what I’d like you to find in this journal of mine. Places where you can take a breath, weigh a thought, and ring praise back to our eternal God. What I write are gifts of grace that God has given me, and that I hope will give you moments of peace in this often insane and messy world.
About the Logo
The triquetra is an ancient Christian symbol and is the three pointed part of the logo. The three arcs symbolize the Trinity of Father, Son, and Spirit. The heart is intertwined with the triquetra as a symbol of the eternal and infinite love of God, and His charge for us to show the world that we are followers of the Son through our love for one another.