The Checking In Deck
A Contemplative spirituality tool for youth
Welcome to the contemplation-inspiring world of the checking in deck, a creation by Lib Caldwell, Mollie Donihe Wilkerson, and Ryan wilkerson.
Meet the Deck
The Checking In Deck is a tool for teens to explore their spirituality and connect with their communities. This set of 32 cards is crafted to inspire deep thought and meaningful conversations, whether used in a group setting or for individual practice. Inside the box, you’ll find though-provoking prompts, textile art backgrounds created by the deck’s makers, and a guidebook to get you started.
Meet the CREATORS
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Lib Caldwell lives in Nashville, Tennessee where she retired from teaching at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago in 2014 and then retired again from teaching as adjunct at Vanderbilt Divinity School in 2020. She is an author, gardener, and quilter. She especially enjoys cooking for friends and family, reading, and walking her dog.
Lib is an artist who likes to work with words (writing books for adults and children), fabric and yarn (knitting and quilting for friends and family), seeds and plants (tending a colorful patio garden in the summer). She really likes to write and think about how the holy and the ordinary—the daily—connect us with faith and the ways we image God’s presence in our world.
With Mollie she shares a love of creativity and art and exploring how visual/tactile experiences connect us with experiences and questions of faith. Most of all, Lib hopes that the Day by Day deck helps families find a home for faith in the daily expressions of saying thanks, expressing awe and wonder with creation, asking for help, and acknowledging mistakes. We all live day by day, moving through the seasons of time and seasons of a Christian calendar. Attentiveness to the simple daily practices of noticing and seeing and being open to God’s creating presence in our lives is a beginning practice of spiritual formation that can continue throughout out our life.
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Mollie Donihe Wilkerson is a textile artist born and raised in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia. Raised by artistic parents and grandparents and surrounded by the craft and culture of the Appalachian region, Mollie quickly developed a deep appreciation for traditional handiwork passed down through generations. After studying Social Work in college, she received a Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt Divinity School in 2020. Mollie now lives in Fort Worth, TX with her beloved spouse, baby, and dog.
Working primarily with secondhand and upcycled fabrics, Mollie's pieces are often tactile, inviting interaction and contemplation. She brings together a colorful variety of fabrics to create whimsical yet thoughtful artwork, imbued with intention. Through her work, she seeks to accompany folks on a journey of contemplation, community, and creativity.
Discover more of her work at molliedonihe.com or on Instagram @molliedonihe.