From the Mat to the Hem: Woman with the Issue of Blood Devotional

A Sacred Continuation of Sipping the Gospel Tea

From the Mat to the Hem: A Woman with the Issue of Blood Devotional Journey is a reflective continuation inspired by an in-person Sipping the Gospel Tea gathering centered on Mark 5:25–34—the story of the woman with the issue of blood who reached for the hem of Jesus’ garment.

What unfolded in that space humbling, holy, and deeply Spirit-led.

Women named what they had been carrying.
They acknowledged the mat—places of isolation, shame, and long-held pain.
And they found courage to reach.  And the Holy Spirit met them there.

This written journey flows from that same place.

From the Mat to the Hem: A Woman with the Issue of Blood Devotional Journey is an 8-week journey—not a program and not a performance. It is an invitation to continue the work that began in community—now carried into your personal, quiet space with God.

You don’t need to keep up.
You don’t need to do this perfectly.
You don’t need to force transformation.

Each reflection invites you into what I call Tea Time with the Holy Spirit—a gentle practice of slowing down, listening deeply, and allowing Scripture to meet you as a living presence, not a completed lesson. This is space to sit longer with the Word, to let the story steep, and to trust the Holy Spirit to continue the work that bean when the story was first heard.

This is not a traditional Bible study.
It is not content to consume or lessons to complete.

It is a sacred follow-up—created for those who sensed there was more beneath the surface.

Over the course of these eight weeks, we return to the same story and sit with a different part of it each time. We name the mat—what has held us, shaped us, isolated us, or quietly defined us. And we practice the reach—not in dramatic ways, but through small, embodied acts of faith that unfold gently across the week.

There are no videos and no pressure to keep pace.

Just Scripture.
Simple practices.
And room for the Holy Spirit to guide the inner work.

You may move through this journey during Lent, or during any season that calls you to slow down, tell the truth, and sit longer with God. You are welcome to move at your own pace, returning to the story as often as you need.

Before you begin, I invite you to prepare a small sacred rhythm—a space to pause, reflect, and meet God in stillness.

Preparing for Tea Time with the Holy Spirit

You don’t need anything elaborate.
You only need intention.

Create a Sacred Space

Choose a place where you can return consistently—a chair, a corner, a table by the window.

You might include:

• A candle or soft light

• A warm cup of tea or coffee

• Your Bible

• A journal and pen

Let this space tell your body: You are safe to slow down here.

Prepare the Atmosphere

Before reading each week’s reflection:

• Take one slow breath

• Place your feet on the floor

• Rest a hand on your body

You may whisper:

“Holy Spirit, meet me here.”

No agenda.
No fixing.
Just presence.

Journaling as Listening and Prayer

Journaling in this series is not about perfect words.

It is about making room.

Some days you may write a lot.
Some days only a sentence.
Some days nothing at all.

This is not failure.
It is faithfulness.

Let your journal become a place where truth can surface gently, without being rushed.

This journey begins where you are—not where you think you should be.

So take a breath.
Pull up a chair.
Pour a cup of tea.

We’ll begin together with Week One: The Mat of Isolation.

You are welcome here.