I wear hearing aids. They make all the difference in conversations and in theatres. I know others who wear them will agree that hearing aids amplify everything so when you are in a noisy environment like a restaurant or a large room with high ceilings, the noise is deafening. The digital aids can be modified to direct the sound in some settings, but the technology is far from perfect. So we practice active listening. We watch faces and read lips. We lean forward seeking to hear better. I ask the other to repeat themselves. Or worse I think I know what they said but misunderstand it entirely. In these settings I often feel left out. I can try but may have to wait till we leave that environment to catch up with my friends. Our intentions are good, but the sounds are still not clear. Sometimes the environment affects what we hear. I was thinking about this the other day when I realized there are times, I don’t hear God either. His voice is muffled. Or I don’t hear anything at … [Read more...]
Prevailing Emotion
A few weeks ago, I heard a thought-provoking question: What is the prevailing emotion you are experiencing right now? This question caused me to pause, center myself, name my body sensations, and articulate how I was experiencing life in the present moment. I am an Enneagram Three – one who usually tucks my emotions aside, thinking I will deal with them later but rarely do. I rush through each day often without checking my internal temperature. My hubby and I have endured what I am calling a complicated season. Deaths/funerals, colds, travel, too many meetings and all that little stuff that piles up and seems higher when you are overwhelmed. So many emotions – what is the prevailing one? This gets me curious, then self-compassionate, all leading to comfort and healthier choices. I reached deep inside and asked myself what was the true emotion driving my soul? I found it easier to check out a listing of emotions like this one. Here is another “wheel” of emotions to check … [Read more...]
Preparing for Retreat
“My bags are packed. I’m ready to go.” Good song lyrics, but no I am not leaving on a jet plane. But I am getting ready for my annual silent retreat. A little later this year but still a valued and precious spiritual practice of mine. I have been going on a yearly silent retreat since early 2000’s. In the one or two years I didn’t attend, parchedness surrounded my soul and I missed the longer intimacy with Christ. I listen. I be. I write in my journal. I napped. I wait. I become. I unfold. I stretch. I am one. This morning I sat quietly with the Lord and asked what should I pack? For retreat, the biggest lesson I’ve learned is to pack light. I remind myself to pack simply: just the essentials, my Bible, my journal, pretty pens and highlighters. Less stuff the better. Leave behind the books, my computer, the distractions, my fears, the agenda, the “what if’s.” The most important item to pack is an open and willing heart. I hear the Spirit whisper. What questions are you … [Read more...]
World Listening Day
Well, I must have not been listening. I missed World Listening Day which was celebrated July 18. But I know I can still practice this much needed skill and try to listen deeper and more comprehensively to others, to God, and to my own voice. Maybe you may be up to this challenge too. World Listening Day was created to draw attention to the way humans need to be listening to the world around us, including environmental awareness, soundscapes and acoustic ecology. What a good reminder to be more active and attentive about practicing listening to the world on a more regular basis. Active listening is a fundamental communication skill that involves paying full and conscious attention to what another person is saying. It is not just about hearing the words but listening to the speaker’s emotions, thoughts, and intentions behind those words. Listening is being fully present to the other. So often we are saturated with ambient noise and constant information overload; therefore this … [Read more...]
Using Borrowed Prayers
Borrowed prayers are praying the words shared/written by another person. Sometimes we just don’t know what to say. Other times reading a prayer from another person’s spirit resonates so much with our own spirit it becomes our prayer also. I shared some of my favorite prayers on this post last year. I believe just the right words come along when we most need them and even when we don’t know we needed them. Recently several prayers from others have shimmered, vibrated, and echoed deep inside me. I write them into my journal and pray them as their beauty and meanings seep into my heart. Maybe some of these words will also guide you on your spiritual path. “Why, O Lord, is it so hard for me to keep my heart directed toward you? Why do the many little things I want to do, and the many people I know, keep crowding my mind, even during the hours that I am totally free to be with you and you alone? Why does my mind wander off in so many directions, and why does my heart desire the … [Read more...]
National Simplicity Day
National Simplicity Day? Never heard of it. Have you? National Simplicity Day on July 12 honors transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau, a man who advocated a life of simplicity. Thoreau was a supporter of living the simple life and encouraging others to do the same. Thoreau believed a life of simplicity could lead to greater happiness and a deeper connection between us and the surrounding world. He advocated a life free of unnecessary complexities; free of details. He declared “our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify!” What an invitation: to pause and consider what details in our lives are squandering the joys and vitality in our existence. “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” Hans Hofmann Simplicity means slowing down and appreciating what we already have. We no longer feel the pressure to acquire more things. We have time to pursue adventures and spend time with people we enjoy. God calls us … [Read more...]
Overriding Overwhelm
Ever get overwhelmed? I bet I am not the only one to experience this suffocating feeling where even the smallest tasks loom so large your body abruptly stops in paralysis. I know when I am faced with too much on my to-do list, my breath becomes shallow, I feel out of control and ready to quit, and I find it difficult to focus on anything. Brene Brown writes, “The definition of overwhelm that I could FEEL the moment I read it is from Jon Kabat-Zinn: Overwhelm is the all-too-common feeling that ‘our lives are somehow unfolding faster than the human nervous system and psyche are able to manage well.’ Our bodies and minds are experiencing that quicksand feeling.” Last week too much stuff cried out to be done all at once. Overwhelm engulfed me. I stared at the big projects not sure what next step to take while the tiny ones scream for just as much attention. Urgent outshouted the important. Brain-dumping all I had to work on helped me to name what had to be done, but the waves of so … [Read more...]
Wayfinding
I have lost my way in exploring WAY. What I mean is this: WAY is my word of the year, yet I have been neglecting it. Not noticing it lurking around me. Ignoring its rich meanings and life lessons for this point in my journey. The word of the year practice for me has in the past been rewarding and insightful and a connecting point with the Lord. I value this practice yet… “Way” sits on the shelf, waiting patiently for me to wake up and hear its call. How do we restart a spiritual practice what has laid dormant? Prayerfully thinking about this question, I decided to start small. WAY still resonated with me and seemed to have more lessons for me, so I decided to stay with this word. Since I enjoy playing with words maybe having some fun with WAY would be the first step. What phrases contain the word WAY? WAY PHRASES Too many to list all of them. Here are a few that stood out for me: • The Way, the Truth and the Life• And that's the way it is (A catchphrase … [Read more...]