People think that because I often appear calm or peaceful, that is my natural inclination. But that is not true (ask my family)! Finding peace takes a lot of practice. 

I began exploring Christian Meditation after my health crisis in my early 30s (17 years ago). My meditation practice today does not typically look like sitting on a pillow in the corner of a candle-lit room (although that is fun too). I often meditate in my bed, in my car (see my Instagram post this week), on my couch, on my yoga mat, or outside under a tree. 

A lot of people find meditation to be an intimidating practice. For Christians, it can even be scary. But it does not need to be intimidating or scary. If prayer is talking to God then meditation is simply quieting our minds and listening to God. And, I long to listen to God whenever possible!

The practice of listening to God through meditation helps us find inner stillness. We are not striving for anything at all, we are simply sitting in God's presence and giving ourselves a break from thinking. Meditation quiets our minds, even if getting there feels loud and noisy. 

Meditation is beneficial at any time of day but I find a morning meditation sets the tone for my entire day. Before the "doing" of the day begins, I simply get to "be" with God. It's a great way to cultivate peace of mind, better relationships, self-esteem, clarity, and presence in all that is ahead. There are so many scientifically proven benefits to meditation, I cannot list them all in this post.  

Let's just say the benefits of meditation are worth the 10-20 minutes it costs me in the morning. The world moves at a fast pace, and most of us face stress and pressure daily. While we cannot avoid life's circumstances, we can face them with the best version of ourselves - with calm minds and peace in our hearts. Meditation helps cultivate these. 

Ready to get started or re-started? Here are 7 tips for finding inner stillness through meditation:

1. Pick a place to meditate (your closet, your car, your bed, your couch, your bathroom, or anywhere you can be uninterrupted).
2. Sit tall and focus on your breath. 
3. Set a timer or consider using calming music or a guided meditation if you need more companionship.
4. Put your phone on airplane mode or do not disturb.
5. Consider holding something (a cross, prayer beads, a crystal, your Bible), so you are not tempted to pick up your phone. Or, simply open your hands as a symbol of receiving God's presence. 
6. When your mind wanders, acknowledge your thoughts and let them go, then return to your breath. I use a sacred word (my word is peace) to come back into the quiet with God. 
7. Practice this daily for 7 days and notice how your days go. 

​I hope these tips help you find inner stillness. And if you're seeking further companionship in meditation, remember the Exploring Peace Meditations podcast is a great tool when you're feeling stuck or need some companionship.

What's your favorite place to meditate? 

This week, a neighbor asked me to borrow an egg...and I was giddy. Sound ridiculous? Maybe so, but this simple act offered me an opportunity to respond to a question I've been pondering, how can I be a good neighbor? 

As a kid, I grew up in a small town where our family knew lots of people. But, we moved homes within our zip code fairly often. So we didn't often develop relationships with those living next door. We rarely got asked to borrow an egg, or watch a neighbor's pet, or grab their mail. 

To be a good neighbor, we don't have to become "best friends" with every person next door but we do need to have relationships that offer neighborly love. What is neighborly love and how do we show it? It starts with being kind.

Over and over again, scripture tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves. The Bible gives us many tips on what it means to be a neighbor. It is a privilege to support and build up our neighbors, whether by dropping off an egg, offering a listening ear, or saying a purposeful prayer. 

Romans 15:2 in the Common English Bible says this, "Each of us should please our neighbors for their good in order to build them up." If you're unsure how to do that, maybe you could ask? Pray this prayer simple prayer (or some form of your own prayer) today:

God, show me how to be a good neighbor. Give me an opportunity to respond with kindness to a need I can supply and help me build up those around me. 

How do you build up your neighbors?
How has a neighbor supported you over the years with kindness? 

It may not always be as easy as a dropping off an egg. God may stretch you to be a good neighbor and you may never know how your care and kindness impacts another. I sense the need to end this post with a Mr. Rogers quote. After all, Mr. Rogers is the ultimate neighbor! 

“If only you could sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.” Mr. Rogers

Be kind to a neighbor this week. If you'd like some companionship in praying for your neighbors with a walking meditation, listen to this episode of the podcast. 

Oh, I love this image. LOVE & KINDNESS ARE NEVER WASTED! 
​
They bless the one who receives them...
and they bless you, the GIVER.
They always make a difference.

Have you practiced Loving Kindness Meditation?

I enjoy practicing this meditation, most of the time. It's true, I want to offer loving kindness to myself, my loved ones, and the world. But when you get to that part about offering it to someone you're struggling with, that's really hard. Yes, really hard. 

But God calls us to love and pray for our enemies, even forgive them. Right? And I find this type of meditation to be helpful when I'm struggling with a loved one (or stranger).

If you'd like a little support on your meditation journey with loving kindness (and love books as your guide) pick up my friend Dana's book, One Breath at a Time. Using five approaches (including loving-kindness meditation it's a practical, 40-day guide to beginning and sustaining a Christian meditation practice in our often chaotic world.

To be guided through an audio version of loving kindness meditation (where we specifically pray for our families), listen below. 

Silence: A Poem
by Whitney R. Simpson

She is my companion
yet I avoid her gaze

She is my teacher
yet I push back at her instruction

She is my guide
yet I veer from her course

She is my friend
yet I wonder why she comes near

She is my gift
and I long to savor her more fully

She is inviting me to a oneness with God,
listen...do you hear her?

Why not?

I avoid her gaze
because at first she looks lonely

I push back at her instruction
because of my own agenda

I veer from her course
because I am easily distracted

I wonder why she comes near
because there is always another choice

Yet I long to savor her
like never before

And once I say yes to her
I receive an awareness I never knew
​she could introduce to me

She is my companion,
my teacher,
my guide,
my friend

She is God's gift

​Silence

Spiritual disciplines are opportunities to grow closer to God. I'm passionate that we see these practices as opportunities rather than things to check off our list, they should never feel or be viewed as legalistic opportunities. The spiritual disciplines we engage in are practices we choose to grow closer to God, on purpose.

Oftentimes there is not a lightning bolt moment of nearness to God in my practices of prayer, or meditation, or journaling, or scripture reading. Sometimes there is (and that's glorious) but mostly (at least for me) there isn't. ​Is this true for you? And if so, what's the point?

When we discover discipline in meeting God, we can continue to find God in every detail of our life, not just the obvious ones. We can walk with God in the unknown. We can sit with God in the grief. We can know God is near to us we feel lonely. As Oswald Chamber writes, "We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the growth of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail."

Think about it, it is easy to recognize God in the mountain top moments! Those times of connection with with our Creator give us obvious encouragement, hope, refreshment, and more. And yet it's in every single detail of life that we have an opportunity to meet God.

The consistency of finding discipline in our spiritual lives, offers us the gift of drawing near, even when we feel far, that's the point.

Need some companionship for walking into the unknown right now?
Listen to the guided meditation from the podcast below. 

You may not know why the Exploring Peace Meditations podcast even began. But, it's because of you.

After Yoga & Silence retreats and Yoga & Meditation classes, you would often ask me to send you the meditation I'd read or even record it for a future listen. That was nearly impossible since those the majority of those prayers and meditations often began with only a word or a theme. From there, each meditation and prayer was a creative collaboration between God and the gift of my imagination. There wasn't a written script to send or a way to record the spontaneity of the moment. 

At first I thought, surely you aren't serious. I would reply with gratitude and offer a, "please come back to retreat or class anytime." But, you wanted a new way to consistently interact with God that felt embodied amidst your daily life, not just while on retreat or in class.

And so, just weeks before we entered a pandemic and the opportunity to be together in the same ways came to a halt. I uploaded Episode 1, without any idea of what would happen or how much our souls would need this resource in 2020.

And here we are in 2021, as Season 3 begins (on January 29th). I want to thank you for inviting me into your meditation space, your bedroom, your closet, your yoga mat, or wherever you practice and pray. Because of you, the podcast now has over 13,000 downloads of it's 44 episodes.  And out of this, has come a community of seekers. 

If your soul has benefited from listening to the podcast meditations, I hope you'll consider joining our community this year as a Founding Member. The opportunity is more than simply committing to your own soul care in 2021. ​You're giving back too. The doors are open right now and for $4.99/month or $57/year, your presence as a Peace Seeker in our community isn't simply for you. For less than a fancy cup of coffee each month, your support not only enriches the spiritual journey of other Peace Seekers, it also supports the Exploring Peace Ministries podcast and the vision of a private retreat spot for seekers near a peaceful creek in rural Tennessee.  This podcast has birthed a lot of connection in a time of disconnection. I'm honored to host this space and thank you for being here. 

Tell me! What's your soul longing to hear in 2021? And if you want to check out our growing community first, there is a 7 day free trial, click here to find out more.​

Did you notice the Exploring Peace Meditations podcast offering more and more Yoga Nidra practices as the year went along? That's because you kept asking for more! And, I heard you when you said you were amazed that it brought so much peace into your body. I've been studying and practicing Yoga Nidra more in this past year and I'm glad to hear your response to the practice. My body and mind love Yoga Nidra and my spirit loves offering it in ways that help me (and your) connect with our Creator. 

What is Yoga Nidra? Also known as yogic sleep, this conscious relaxation and meditation practice offers space for your body and your mind to unwind. It feels good all over! Clearly, this is an oversimplified definition but it's the best way I know to explain the practice...until you have practiced it for yourself!

When I shared that this practice would be a bonus in our online advent retreat, I had multiple messages from those of you who were concerned you didn't know how to practice Yoga Nidra. Here's the great thing... You don't have to be able to know anything about it, you simply need to have a willingness to listen and relax!

Yoga Nidra is often practiced in a reclined resting position (think savasana pose in yoga) but can be practiced sitting up as well. It's a form of meditation, body awareness, and true relaxation. Richard Miller (yoga teacher, author, researcher, and psychologist) teaches that "in yoga nidra, we restore our body, senses, and mind to their natural function and awaken a seventh sense that allows us to feel wholeness, tranquility, and well-being."

It's a practice that has helped me connect body, mind, and spirit and I hope you find it helps you too. 

Have you practiced Yoga Nidra?
​Ready to unwind? Click here or listen below. 
​

Last year I purchased this adorable Christmas craft from Cozy Blue. And sadly, I've spent all of about 30 minutes working on it. I'm not sure why I was more excited about the idea of this piece than actually sitting down with my hands and being present while stitching. I was ecstatic with my purchase and have since looked at it and pondered, why have I paused in picking it up?

Maybe it's because I'm a recovering perfectionist and am afraid my final piece won't measure up to the Instagram worthy photos I've seen of the finished kit? Maybe I am simply distracted by life's responsibilities amidst a pandemic year? Maybe it's that silly puppy's fault I don't have space for thread and needles? Maybe I long for presence but don't always prioritize it? Maybe I have spent my time in other valuable ways besides crafting with my hands? There are a lot of maybes in life, aren't there?

If you haven't noticed, we are entering in to a season of giving! But here's what I'm reminded of... if we don't slow down long enough to receive, we won't have space to give. My hands can remind me to be open to and grateful for the way God allows me to both give and receive. Maybe I can practice that while crafting this season? 

This Advent, I'm choosing to set aside all those "maybes" and enter in with open hands. I'm choosing presence over perfection. I'm choosing to slow down and prioritize the gift of this season. I'm choosing to ready myself for God's gift of Jesus. That may mean I end up with a finished craft and it may not. We'll see. Will you join me? 

If you'd like to practice giving and receiving with your own hands today in prayer, savor this body scan meditation and a moment of gratitude for the ways you are giving and receiving in your life with God.

“Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence. Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.” ― Maya Angelou, Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now


We are well into our new normal of a pandemic lifestyle. Maybe your running around has been replaced with logging on these days - to meetings, to social media, or to check the news. No matter what you're filling your time with, I'm hearing from you that it is hard to give your body and soul a rest in this season. And, oh that forever running mind! Will it ever slow down again? 

These words from Maya Angelou really humble me. Who am I to think that the world won't turn if I don't take a break? My meditation practice is the daily time I can pause those problems. And, scheduling purposeful time apart with God is vital for my own soul. But it's hard, isn't it? Why is it so hard to take time away from the news, the pandemic, the worries, the politics? What holds you back from taking time apart? Daily for a few minutes or weekly for longer periods of time? Do you prioritize a daily practice or weekly Sabbath? What does that look like for you? 

If not, what gets in the way of prioritizing your own slowing down? What holds you back? 

Whether or not today is a day you can "consciously separate" from your problems, I hope you'll pause and give yourself a few minutes to explore peace for your spirit.

You're not alone. Need some companionship? Listen to the most recent podcast meditation below.

How is it already October? What has become of this year's vision board and goal plan? For me, not much. It is the year of PIVOT! And while it's been tough, I'm finding many silver linings in this invitation and focus shift. Amidst that shifting, I do know I'm hearing this quote from Augustine and a very familiar verse, loud and clear.

Listen....

"Thou has made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee." - Augustine of Hippo

“Be still, and know that I am God” – Psalm 46:10

Do you have any stillness or rest in your day?  Or, does stillness only find you when you crash in the chair at the end of the day after being all things to all people?

Or, does rest evade your mind because although your body is still, you rarely choose to stop scrolling or turn off the news? Do you collapse at the end of a day feeling tired, alone, or even unworthy of being still in God's presence? Are you restless?

This restless pondering and verse aren't simply about being still, are they? Nope. There is so much more than stillness in this invitation. 

We might want to take note of something pretty important in the verse.  The word "and" in the sentence.  The scripture doesn't just ask us to be still, it asks us to be still AND know.  What do we need to know?

If you keep reading, verse 11 tells us that “The Lord Almighty is with us.”  We aren’t simply told to be still (I was told that in church as a little girl plenty, that's not the same as this).  We’re told to be still and know that God is with us. Augustine reminds us God wants us to not only rest but to rest IN GOD. Amidst stress, overwhelm, injustice, worry, changed plans, and pivoting dreams, rest in God.

God gives us the ability to do more than just stop worrying or running. God gives us the ability to rest in God and be reminded how much God cares for each of us, especially amidst restless times like these.

Today, I invite you to find stillness somewhere in your day AND in that stillness of knowing God is with you.
​
Know that God is your comfort.  
Know that God is your peace.
Know that your Creator longs for you to rest in thee.
​
Reflect:  How am I reminded that God is with me?   What is causing me restlessness (get specific, consider journaling or praying through these specifics)? When was the last time I experienced stillness and rest WITH God?  Where and when can I rest today AND  be reminded of God's presence in my life?

​Action: Let's not choose to be restless in this season, let's choose to rest in God. Need a little help? Press play below and drift off to sleep in God's presence tonight.