A sunny yellow-colored house in West Towson has served for the last two years as an oasis for those thirsting to deepen their spiritual life.

Some come to Well for the Journey for a sip before continuing on their journey. Others come regularly to drink in the lessons, the conversations and the reflection that goes on here. Some consider Lent, which begins Wednesday, as a time to deepen their spirituality. At Well for the Journey, that's the goal every day.

"At the well you fill up. You take what you need," said Mabeth Hudson, co-founder of Well for the Journey.

Kathy Baker, of Seminary Overlook, has always been a regular church-goer. But in 2004, she came to Well for the Journey looking for something more. "Sometimes church speaks to me and sometimes it doesn't," she said.

She found what she was looking for: An original curriculum that used both scriptures and contemporary writers to help her deepen her spirituality.

"Well for the Journey has allowed me to develop a more relational experience with God," Baker said. She took a nine-month program called Crossroads Companions and continued taking classes and, in fact, now leads them, both at the Well and at her church.

"It has been a powerful force in my life," Baker said.

Now, when Baker attends services at her church, Woodbrook Baptist, she brings a deeper faith. "My perspective has changed. I see God as a bigger entity that is in every part of my life," she said.

About 85 to 100 come to the Well each month for classes, spiritual direction or special programs. Some 1,200 receive quote-of-the-day emails. Hudson said the email blast was started to reach those who cannot attend programs. "A lot of people have said that changed their lives," said Hudson, who collects quotes for the daily email blast.

Hudson, a Sparks resident, was a partner in a law firm in 2001 when she felt called to start a community for those seeking to develop their spirituality. She designed Women at the Well specifically for women at first. It wasn't long before other journeyers, including men, wanted more, Hudson said.

Originally posted here:

Aim of Well for the Journey is to quench thirst for spirituality