Take a deep breath. Now I mean it – stop for a moment. Take a deep breath.Realize you are alive. Feel your lungs expand and the rush of air through your pursed lips.Pause.I have been pondering the power in pausing lately. Seven Sacred Pauses, written by Macrina Wiederkehr, provides the nourishment for my new venture into the spiritual practice of living mindfully by pausing to pray at set times each day.She writes, “Living mindfully is the art of living awake and ready to embrace the gift of the present moment.”This book is NOT about how to do the daily office, but contains reflections about applying the themes of specific hours to deepen our awareness of God and of life. Intentionally pausing at certain points each day awakens us, brings new insights that help us to go deeper instead of skimming along on the surface, and provides a touch point with our true self, not what the world is shouting to us to be.“We practice pausing to remember the sacredness of our names, who we are and … [Read more...]

South African Terence Parkin won the Olympic silver medal in the men’s 200 breaststroke in Sydney in September of 2000. Though this is an accomplishment in itself, it is even more remarkable that Terrence has been deaf since birth.Terence did not hear the cheering, the splashing of the water or the background noises in the swimming pool. Strobe lights announced the start of each race and launched him off the pad into the water.What a feat to make the Olympics, to make the final match, and then win a medal on top of having a disability.Coach Graham Hill noted that Terence’s biggest strength is his deafness. “He doesn’t listen to the nonsense around him”.Keeping my mouth shut and listening more to God seems to be a lesson God is telling me lately. I laugh at the old adage that is why He only gave us one mouth and two ears. We need to listen more to Him, respond to His holy strobe light and forget the nonsense that the world throws at us.I ponder once again what is written in Proverbs … [Read more...]

Do you follow the rules?  What are the rules for life for a healthy spirituality? Some people never stray far from the boundaries in life. Others push the edges or outright break all barriers. Some just rebelliously refuse to even consider any guidelines. In this age of individualism, why would anyone even consider a rule for life? What is a rule for life, anyway? A Rule for Life is a collection of guidelines for living. It can also be called a Way of Life. Its purpose is to help us keep our sense of balance by intentionally addressing all aspects of life: physical, emotional, socially, spiritually, etc. Debra K. Farrington in her book, Living Faith Day by Day, encourages us to pick a practice under each of the following areas: 1. Foundations (putting God at the center of your rule and your life) 2. Prayer (finding a prayer type and rhythm that works for you) 3. Work (approaching your work as part of your spiritual life rather than something divorced from it) 4. Study … [Read more...]

  What Sustains You? The July issue of Sojourners Magazine asks various people the question: What sustains you? What keeps you refreshed for the journey to justice? The answers have been interesting. Richard Rohr writes, “my daily and primary practice is contemplation.” Other answers include centering prayer, prayer of examen, community, saying thank you, Bible reading, and retreats. So far no one has mentioned keeping a journal. Though journal keeping can be a form of prayer, I find it is so much more. A spiritual journal is different from a regular journal. It is a written record of personal reactions to spiritual matters. Many people have discovered that writing down their thoughts and feelings helped them clarify some of the basic questions they were asking about life. "What’s it all about?" "What am I doing here?", "What does God want me to become," "Where does God want me to serve." Journal writing gives us the time to think through and clarify our beliefs. … [Read more...]

Spiritual Director International Conference I leave tomorrow to fly to Houston to attend the Spiritual Director International Conference. This will be my first time to participate in this event. Spiritual Director International is a membership organization and learning community of people from many faiths and many nations who share a common concern, passion, and commitment to the art and contemplative practice of spiritual direction. Its mission is: “throughout human history, individuals have been called to accompany others seeking the Mystery we name God. In this time, Spiritual Directors International responds to this call by tending the holy around the world and across traditions.” One of my goals this year was increased networking with people in the field of spirituality, especially those who write. The keynote presenter at the event this year is author Ron Rolheiser, who has written books like The Holy Longing, The Restless Heart and the Shattered Lantern. One full day … [Read more...]

  What is Spiritual Direction? Spiritual direction, sometimes referred to as spiritual guidance or spiritual friendship, is an on-going relationship in which one person (the directee), desirous of being attentive to his or her spiritual life, meets with another person (the director) on a regular basis (approximately once a month), specifically for the purpose of becoming more attuned to God's presence in order to respond more fully to that Presence in all of life. Spiritual direction has been part of the Christian tradition for centuries. Why would someone want spiritual direction? To explore their yearning for God. To understand meaning in their life. To gain a sense of discernment. To understand where they are going. To live their life more fully. Meeting with a spiritual director is helpful when you want a deeper relationship with God. Spiritual direction is a vital tool for a healthy spirituality. Simply, spiritual direction helps people tell their own … [Read more...]

Silent Listening I love words so spending multiple days at a silent retreat draws me out of my comfort zone.  What are some of the benefits of entering into a grand silence to hear the whispers of God? How does silent listening help the soul? Silent is a wonderful, yet challenging word. Mother Teresa said, “We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence. We need silence to be able to touch souls.” Use the word silent as an anagram. An anagram rearranges or unscrambles the letters of one word to create a new word. The result is: SILENT = LISTEN. Like an anagram, silent listening rearranges, unscrambles, reorganizes and reorders my spirit: Silent listening rearranges my thoughts, providing clarity and a new sense of direction and meaning. Silent listening unscrambles my prayers affirming who I … [Read more...]