Jordan Stones Blog

I have often mentioned the old metaphor taught to me long ago.  I have called it to many of you  “feelings are road signs”.  As we drive our cars from here to there, there are signs everywhere…”this way to Greenville”, “men at work ahead”, “merge”, “Starbucks (stop here!)”… and on and on.  Someone once said that our feelings play the exact function of road signs in our inner worlds.  They contain code, information, vital material for our next-best-thing-to-do toward well being and goodness and thriving our lives.  All things I am passionate about leading others (and myself) to follow.  If we pay attention, there is wisdom in our deep places (AKA the knit-in Holy Spirit-laced authentic self) that has exactly what we need to arrive there. “At the heart of the discernment process is the ability to pay attention to…the inner dynamics that give us clues to whether the step we are considering will nurture life in us: the life of Christ lived ...

This poem  is such a well expressed illustration of what I expressed in the last blog post below ( It's Personal...Homesick for Eden) .  It speaks to that code that we have the gift to decipher ...the messengers we experience in the form of pain, disturbances, and dis-ease in our bodies.  Take a minute to read this through, see what lines you gravitate to. Which describe your inner  experience  and the connection it has to the Truth you need to allow to soothe you to the next place of  wholeness  and Blessing? This poem was shared with me by my yoga teacher, Sheila McVay, owner of Johns Creek yoga. I am always nurtured by her invitations to integrate my inner and outer world.  The Felt Sense Prayer I am the pain in your head, the knot in your stomach, the unspoken grief in your smile. I am your high blood sugar, your elevated blood pressure, your fear of challenge, your lack of trust. I am your hot flashes, your c...

So, this Holy Yoga thing. It’s personal.  Today is my birthday – the big 3-9. About a year ago I made   it my goal to complete holy yoga teacher training before I turned 40. I guess I can’t get around the fact that I am an over achiever – I accomplished my goal in 6 months or so and finished with training in May [and L.O.V.E.D it, by the way].  I am mulling over a 40 old 2.0 goal so I can capitalize on the motivation. [Stay tuned...] On this birth day of mine, I decided I needed to connect some words to my Why. In order to get the good out of it, I need to lace it in with meaning.  There’s backstory needed though, to communicate my truth at all. A big chapter in my story has indeed been this body of mine.   At one point I would have said “it has caused a lion’s share of trouble in my existence”.  I stopped thinking that way a long time ago though.  It’s always, from birth, been quirky. This not quite functioning right, tha...

Psychotherapy Is a process of “welcoming” the stranger-he who is estranged from himself, away from home, wandering in an alien land-into a relationship of trust, care, and mutual respect. Psychotherapy Is a process of “visiting” the imprisoned, those chained to their own compulsions, shackled by self-deception, pacing the narrow cells of guilt and anxiety, and talking with them about their prospects for freedom. Psychotherapy Is a process of “clothing” the nakedness of those who have been stripped by illness of all pretense and self-respect, whose emptiness and failure have been laid bare to the world, who have been deprived of all protective devices, masks, barriers, and hiding places. Psychotherapy Is a special way of “calling” upon and sojourning within the inner frame of reference of those who wait under the conditions of helpless sickness, yearning daily for the day of deliverance. Thomas Oden

August presents a "New Year's Eve" experience for many of us.  Just as much if not more as January calls us to a recalibration of ourselves, because of the change of tide around the school year...this month requires a reset too. During the summer there is a shared longing to  "exhale" - to enjoy the change of rhythm and the experiences offered through that nurture our soul if we let them.  There is an example in the Bible of a man on a journey that includes a trajectory of high productivity, leading to high stress and fear, leading to  a collapse into restoration that looks like this "exhale" we long for in the summer season. Many of us have recent months behind us that look somewhat similar. Elijah in 1 Kings 19 doesn't really have a say in his rest...he more or less crumbles into it.  Our pursuit should be to honor when we need to peel away and be replenished BEFORE we have nothing left to show for it...see my last post on " dange...

This is an insightful excerpt from Ruth Haley Barton's book "Invitation to Solitude and Silence".   It is about tiredness.  She very wisely creates a distinction between " good tired" and "bad tired".   I think it is so important to recognize which characterizes your insides so that you know how to proceed with wellbeing. You are going to love it. Take a second and scroll down to read.   Those of you who spend time with me know I refer to my own inner space as having a "climate" often as I take my temperature and pay attention to what I am in need of.  As you read the below, you will notice her weather metaphor and will connect the metaphors I have used in the past. I think it is a rich building block on that foundation. I would also like to note that there are different kinds of rest required for different kinds of tired.  Sometimes exhaustion feels deep. We take a nap or a vacation, and when resuming our lives, we find that tired...

Come explore how to incorporate the traditional ancient art of reading and praying scripture found in the lectio divina into your spiritual walk - find ways to connect with God that fit YOUR personality.  SATURDAY JULY 25TH  9:00 AM - 11:30 AM   50$   Through short tests (Myers Briggs Temperament) and discussion, we will discover our individual spiritual personality bends.  We will discover which practices fit into YOUR soul shape and lifestyle and   give you access to more Jesus . We'll match your spiritual personality to one of a few traditional streams: Franciscan, Tomastic, Ignatian, and Augustinian.      We will begin with basic LEVEL 1 Holy Yoga on your mat so make sure to bring it and any props you know you will need!   This is for anyone who would like to feed their spirit, rest and refuel, and feel a stronger anchor into their True Center.  For those who want to nourish and freshen their connecti...