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9 Lumens & Illuminate

a heart of simplicity

Published about 2 months ago • 2 min read

May 2026

Insights

Insights from the work: what clients are navigating, what I’m learning, and ways to keep growing.

Reader,

What you will find in this email:

  • A reflection on the simplicity of heart
  • A free reflection guide you can download to sit with this for yourself
  • A note about new marriage coaching

Simplicity of Heart

Simplicity. That was the word that stopped me in Acts 2:46, read in a different translation (CJB), so it purposely didn't sound too familiar.

Other translations read humble or sincere. But simple? Oh, my heart cries for simplicity. Does yours? In a world that feels anything but simple, the ache for simplicity of heart is close to the surface.

I went down a bit of a rabbit trail to understand what was behind the word. The Greek word for simplicity is aphelotēs. But what surprised me is that it's used only ONCE in all of Scripture. It comes from a ("not") and phelleus ("stony ground"). Literally: without rocks. Figuratively: without stumbling blocks.

In Scripture, the heart isn't just emotion. It's the inner self: motives, desires, will, posture, character. So simplicity of heart points to an inner posture without rocky paths. One that is joyful, open, sincere, humble, and unpretentious.

What could a summer of simplicity of heart look like — no matter our plans, or even when those plans get turned upside down? A smooth heart, without stumbling blocks, could mean:

  • undivided motives
  • openness
  • relational ease
  • generosity without calculation
  • freedom from internal friction

This is what we see in the early believers in Acts 2:

  • shared meals
  • gladness
  • fellowship
  • openness

As a Type 3, my rocky path tends to be performance. The pressure to make the summer the best, to optimize the rest, to turn even slow days into something to show for. This summer, especially with our youngest graduating and launching into life. It’s an end-of-an-era kind of season, and I can feel the stones show up: the urge to manage the emotion and look put-together rather than let it be present.

As I keep thinking about this passage in Acts, I notice the believers didn't will their simplicity into being. They were simply filled with the Spirit, and the simplicity followed.

Each of us has our own stones in the path. The work isn't to white-knuckle them away. The path is what it is. The Spirit is what guides us to walk it 'simply'.

A Free Reflection Guide

If your heart is crying out for this too, I’ve created a short reflection guide. It names the rocks and stones that make our paths difficult by Enneagram Type, and offers five questions to spend time with.

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Walking the Summer Together

If you'd like someone to walk with you and help you see the stones you might not notice on your own — it would be an honor to sit with you this summer with 3 Coaching Sessions: A Summer of Simplicity. Three 50-minute sessions, $375, or three payments of $125.

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​Something New at 9 Lumens

I'm now certified as an Enneagram + Marriage coach through Christa Hardin's training.

If marriage coaching is something you're curious about, I'd love to hear what would serve you well. You can reply to this email, or click here to spend some time talking with me about it.

Linda Hannigan

Your Guide to the Enneagram​
​Coaching for clarity. Space for change. Support for lasting growth.​
Certified Enneagram Coach | Credentialed Life & Leadership Coach | BTH, CPLC, PCC

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
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9 Lumens & Illuminate

I tell the stories of women and Scripture. I hold space for the kind of thinking that changes perspective and direction. I work where understanding and change overlap.

I’m a coach and educator exploring faith, Scripture, and personal development. Through two newsletters (9 Lumens & Illuminate), I tell the stories of women and Scripture and hold space for the kind of thinking that leads to meaningful change for women, pastors, and leaders.

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