Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone started their day by cultivating lovingkindness in their hearts? (I'm an idealist. I like to imagine these things. I like to think that anything is possible.) Maybe that's too big. I should start smaller. How would my day, my interactions, my heart change if … Continue reading Heart Exercises: Stretching your heart with lovingkindness
For some reason, I'm finding words to be scarce this summer. Although, sometimes you don't need many words. A few will do just fine. A Poem: It sounds cheesy and much too simple, but I honestly believe it is True. The Answer is Love. The way, the truth, the life: this is the Love that … Continue reading A Poem and a Practice: Adored.
“Creation itself is a sacred text through which the presence of God is revealed to us.” –Christine Valters Paintner Last weekend, I hiked with my family through a gorgeous piece of woods in a state park close to home. The trees were green with young leaves. Warm sunlight illuminated young ferns and a myriad of … Continue reading Walking with your Eyes and Heart Wide Open
"The self has become anxious for what the next instant might bring. This greed for destination obliterates the journey." --John O'Donohue "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." ~ Ferris Bueller Does hurry infect your life like it does mine? Hurry is hard … Continue reading Dare to Be Slow
"In the spiritual life, the word 'discipline' means 'the effort to create some space in which God can act.' Discipline means to prevent everything in your life from being filled up." --Henri Nouwen "So what is your dream job?" Before my inner-censor kicked in, I blurted out: "I would like to work at a monastery for half the … Continue reading How to Clear Space
I used to desperately try to live for God. And for most of my grown-up life, I felt like I was letting God down. When you grow up Baptist with a strong earnest streak and a deep spiritual hunger, you cannot help but try to live your life for God. You will read books, hear … Continue reading What if There’s Something Much Better than Living for God?
"It is a lie--any talk of God that does not comfort you... How long will grown men and women in this world keep drawing in their coloring books an image of God that makes them sad?" - current translation of Meister Eckhart How do we heal from toxic images of God? How do we move … Continue reading How Do We Heal from Toxic Images of God?
“Our idea of God tells us more about ourselves than about Him.” ― Thomas Merton "Oh, how easy it is to clutter up the path of the Holy Spirit with my images and preconceptions of God!" ―Edwina Gately Our ideas about God matter. I've always thought so. But I used to think that it … Continue reading Why Our Ideas About God Matter
Something has been off between me and a person I love. I don't know that the feeling is mutual. It could be all me. But sometimes I feel my heart hardening, and I don't know why. The other day, I sat down to spend some time in quiet. Unease toward this loved one surfaced. "What … Continue reading Changing the Rhythm of Seeing Another
Image from The Gift of Writing I'm learning how to listen to my heart. What does it sound like? Where does it show up? Ego, Intellect, Fear, Should . . . these parts of me are noisy. Sometimes they distract me from who I am and where I am going. When I forget, when I … Continue reading What to Do When Your Heart Doesn’t Know What it Wants
Jessica Sanborn 