be still
Meditation With God In Mind
“My doctor recommended meditation to reduce stress. I also wanted a meditation with God in mind.” That is a typical email I receive from people that have been diagnosed with a serious health condition.
They weren’t just seeking meditation to relax and relieve stress, they were seeking a meditation to connect with God’s peaceful, healing, loving presence.
In Crisis We Especially Turn to God
With any crisis in life, God is usually who we turn to. That turning… Continue reading
If You Are Feeling Bent Out of Shape Meditate
Feeling bent out of shape? Our choir director always says, “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall bend and not break.”
If you are easily irritated, frustrated, or quick to go on a rant, you may want to stop what you are doing and go meditate. Meditation is much greater than a tool used for relaxation.
Meditation will help you not get bent out of shape by transforming your actions from reacting to responding.
We live in a society that… Continue reading
What it is Like to Experience Spiritual Awakening or God’s Wake Up Call
You will know when spiritual awakening happens, because your life will never be the same. God’s wake-up call comes when you are least expecting it. There are no limits to the means. A few examples are:
- Hearing a song
- Reading a book or just a seeing a word
- Being out in nature
- A tough business meeting
- A crisis of some sort
- A dream
- Someone says something to you
My Wake-up Call
My wake-up… Continue reading
God Shows Us Significance In the Insignificant
Society conditions us to seek and achieve significant and spectacular goals. Winning a major award, taking a dream vacation, fulfilling a grand bucket list, all translate to significance.
But there are far more insignificant things that happen in our everyday lives. When we are attentive, the insignificant things can take on much greater meaning.
View from a Window
My desk faces our back yard. There is a stone sitting wall under a tree. On a regular basis we have cardinals,… Continue reading
Three Surprising Ways to Reduce Stress and Find Inner Peace
Stress can come from harried schedules, crazy work deadlines, caring for aging parents and life events (expected or unexpected).
But another kind of stress I found surprising was revealed in a book called Living a Life that Matters by Harold Kushner. The following are three ways to reduce stress and find inner peace.
1) Live from your Values
Kushner’s definition of stress is: “Stress (which can affect us physically) may be as much a question of a compromise of values… Continue reading
Learning to Be Still With Meditation Video and Podcast
Learning to be still through meditation and letting go and letting God are the subjects in this video and podcast link (below). Join me, Jackie Trottmann and host Graeme Hopkins as I share my story of going from losing my mind, to finding peace and freedom. Graeme’s show is called, “Be Empowered.”
You’ll learn:
• The importance of being still and how meditation can help
• Why holding onto the past and holding onto judgments will literally weigh you… Continue reading
God Loves Us Especially in Our Messes
God loves us especially in our messes. This whole mess business was inspired by a huge renovation project that is going on at my church and a lovely email I received from a Guided Life Ezine reader who shared her story of transformation to trust God in the midst of her messes. (You’ll love her dialogue back and forth with God.)
Our church project involves getting a new pipe organ to be installed over the period of almost a year. The first step is renovating the front of the sanctuary.
The choir had a rare Sunday off from singing, so instead of sitting in the choir stalls, Robert and I sat in the congregation in our usual spot, pew two (I’ve heard the self-assigned pew is a Presbyterian thing).
Reaching up to the three or four story ceiling was scaffolding surrounding the area where the chambers hold the organ pipes. In our direct line of sight was a sign which read:
I was immediately struck with the thought; God loves us in our messes. After the sermon I took a picture of the sign and told my pastor that I was going to do a post on this subject. He added the word, especially. He said, “God loves us especially in our messes.”
As I mentioned, this mess subject made me think of a lovely email I received from Loretta. I asked her if I could share her story with you and she gave me an enthusiastic yes.
Living Water – Inspirational Bible Verses to Refresh Your Soul
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To refresh is to renew and restore. When your body is feeling depleted, many times the solution is drinking a refreshing glass of water. Without water you couldn’t survive.
Water is referenced 482 times in the Bible. When your soul is depleted, you need to reach for living water. Without this living water, your soul can’t thrive.
Inspirational Bible Verses to Refresh your Soul
I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint. Jeremiah 31:25 – NIV
A Note to Children Dealing With Aging Parents – Tap Into Divine Time Management
I have joined the ranks of baby boomers dealing with aging parents. My son is off to college, I’ve started my own, growing consulting business and was looking forward to unbridled freedom. Instead, I am experiencing the unexpected demands that come with taking care of a parent.
I know that I am not alone, because my friends are all dealing with providing for their parents in some way.
More than ever, stressful times call for leaning on God for peace and guidance, and what I call Divine time management.
Here’s what I mean…..
God’s Power Steering – Don’t Let Go of the Wheel – Just Keep Moving
I have to admit that I struggle as I get older with realizing the concept of having less time than in my youth. There are so many things that I want to do. Because I have hit the over half-way mark in my life, I feel a sense of urgency in wanting everything NOW!
The Psalmist says, “Be still and know that I am God.” And James says, “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,… Continue reading
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