Jordan Stones Blog

Mindfulness isn't an accident.  St. Patrick knew this well.  He wrote a beautiful prayer tooled with an invitation to be still and surrounded by Christ.  ( Keep reading to find this precious prayer, and note that it is only the last stanza of a much longer prayer--Google it for more detail ) He leads me beside still waters... Psalm 23:1-3 Concentration, contemplative, receptive prayer is an art to be practiced, for sure not mastered. In my life spun out to the edges by default, it takes such intent to find that "undivided heart" David talks about in Psalm 86: 11  Teach me your way,   Lord ,      that I may rely on your faithfulness ; give me an undivided   heart ,      that I may fear   your name. 12  I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart ;      I will glorify your name forever. If you know me very well, you know I do a lot of yoga....

When I think about what I have seen that makes one truer, most authentic, makes us the most "us", brings out our accurate essence...voice rises to the top.  Finding an outward expression that matches what is within.  Finding a comfortable way to honor what is inside by naming it on the inside. So I keep a plum line in the back of my mind:  "Speak the truth in Love" (Ephesians 4:15).  When in doubt, when uncomfortable, when stuck, when all other dodging and striving fails....I "speak the truth in Love".   I try to find the truest thing I can say and find words to say it in the most loving way. There is no number to tell you how many stuck and unsatisfied places this has moved me through. I stumbled upon this piece of thought by Diane Langberg.  I absolutely love her theology of voice. I wanted to share it with you in hopes it inspires you to extend yourself: "We will begin our discussion by first considering the nature of persons as t...

On Letting Go: "Let go of the ways you thought life would unfold; the holding of plans or dreams or expectations- Let it all go. Save your strength to swim with the tide. The choice to fight what is here before you now will only result in struggle, fear, and desperate attempts to flee from the very energy you long for. Let go.  Let it all go and flow with grace that washes through your days whether you receive it gently or with all your quills raised to defend against invaders. Take this on faith: the mind may never find the explanations that it seeks, but you will move forward nonetheless. Let go, and the waves' crest will carry you to unknown shores, beyond your wildest dreams or destinations. Let it all go and find the place of rest and peace, and certain transformation."   ~ Dana Fould

The outer rim of one's periphery... the rough edges where you spin and toil and fret and tire...the land of "to do's" and "not yet done's".  It is an easy place to find oneself in early January.   It's a good nesting ground for New Year's resolutions.  The new You. We carry around this longing and hope for change that seems to have a Petri dish in which to grow in January.  We have these questions...Who is the best me?  What should the best me be doing differently?  When will my relationships reflect the best me? Where is the best place for me?  This is the case no matter which type of person you are.... you are either a New Year Resolution Making type of person or you are a New Year Resolution Avoiding type of person .  Both have their pros and cons. Either way, the new year brings in focus the goals we have not yet attained, what isn't good enough yet about ourselves, what falls short in our relationships, where we wish we were...

Try what I call a "Prayer Breath".  I wanted to expand on an earlier post on Inhaling God to fill your pocket with a fresh perspective on this really effective practice.  I use it all the time to plug into the core of me and find my center.  All the portions I describe: the physical [For a bit more information on the physical move from one nervous system (sympathetic) to the other (parasympathetic) go back to the Inhale God post], emotional, cognitive, spiritual, creative...all of them are included intentionally, for the purpose of firing all parts of you and harnessing focus.  The body part, physical part :  Breathe in for a long time. Hold your breath for a long time, exhale for the longest component of the breath (this is a really important rhythm and the length of the components matter--one part inhale, one part hold, two parts exhale).  Concentrate on three parts of your breath (this is called "Dirga" breathing) for a few breaths....

A client confessed to me this week that she has daily thought  along the line of "what if nothing ever changes, if my life never  looks different that today...will that be so bad?"  I winced...I knew that the life she was acquiescing to was that of a dim spirit, numb emotions, a sick body, a pale thought life, and void of loneliness.  The words of my heart cramp were "you are choosing to walk around like a corpse...how can I show you the blessing that is right at your finger tips?" Out of the blue, I dialed back in my memory to something I read early in my graduate training.  Dr Moon was one of my professors and remains on my running list of "top 5 most Christ-like" people I have met. This is an excerpt from his first book, "Falling for God" (2004).  It is a mind-blowing illustration of God's "Kingdom"  to me... drawn from a teaching tool used by the Philosopher in the early first century. "Imagine the faces of ...

Unfortunately familiar is the experience of spinning your wheels but not getting anywhere, not making any progress. Lag time between effort and outcome can suck the wind right out of you motivation sail .  Do you remember "The Purpose Driven Life"--that book that became popular by Rick Warren? I read something about a "purpose driven therapy" or "motivation therapy" while reading on vacation that I really liked the sound of. I have never heard of it before but it is apparently a very old Japanese psychology theory.  It speaks to traction found in wrapping words around a purpose and holding to it when gravity pulls you otherwise. Considering purpose, I love the simple idea of " creating a life worth being present in."   When I get so harried, my hair is on fire, and I am chasing my tail through my day I get thirsty for this idea of being present.  Ann Voscamp calls it " weighing down the moment with your full attention ." Most...