SOUL CrossTraining

Katie, a young friend of mine, wrote these three words on a ceramic plate she designed... Love without Fear I wonder about the combination of these three words . I wonder about the power of loving and living this way. Our longing to experience this type of love, this way of life is planted deep within our souls. Although we will never fully experience it on earth -- we sometimes within some relationships, catch a glimpse of the power and beauty of this way of loving. And for a moment see and experience the depth of God's love for us. I think I caught a glimpse early this year as I spent a few days at the beach celebrating a dear friend's 45th birthday. She gathered a handful of friends to celebrate the gift of life and the power of love. It looked a little like this: Conversations flowing with ease Laughter, free and spontaneous Joy expressed around a dining room table Gratitude for the gift of girlfriends All these moments combined conveyed a bit of God's love and ...

This is God's love letter to you. watch read listen

It seems everywhere we turn we are being asked to be part of small group, serve on a team, or get involved in a worthy cause. Like most of you, I’ve seen and experienced the best and worst of community and groups. Yet, my heart and soul has been transformed in ways I would have never expected as a result stepping into community or being part of a team. Even though I love a solo challenge -- I am learning to leap ( okay, lean ) toward community because I know spiritual transformation takes place best in community. In community, I've found encouragement, support and often a clearer perspective about God and myself. In community, I've given a part of myself and received so much more. In community, I've been able to be part of something larger than myself. In community, I'm becoming visible and known. In community, I've experienced connection and meaningful interaction. In community, I've been lifted up through prayer - and been honored to pray for others. In commu...

I've been thinking about the word practice today. You see part of my story is being a high school and college athlete. As a result, I am well acquainted with practice. I played volleyball and just like in any other sport or athletic endeavor -- athletes practice in a gym or field without any spectators or fans a whole lot more than they play in a game. Practice is part of practically everyday and is often designed around fine tuning a skill, learning a new technique or strategy, strengthening your core, and building endurance. When an athlete practices, she is either trying to maximize her greatest strengths and/or working to improve in an area of weakness. For team sports, practice includes learning to work together and play together in order to compliment each others strengths and compensate for each others weaknesses. As an athlete you would never think of just showing up for a game. Athletes know you must prepare and practice in order play well. I think this is true in the...

By offering a simple prayer with every breath, we can be reminded "for in him we live and move and exist" (Acts 17:28). Although rather simple, this practice requires a connection between the unconscious act of breathing and a conscious expression to God. A Bit of History The church has practiced breath prayer or "prayer of the heart" for millennia . The Eastern Orthodox Church, in particular, has seen breath prayer as a way of living out Paul's instruction to "pray without ceasing."         Examples Jesus Prayer Take a moment to become aware of your breathing. It might help to find a quiet place -- close your eyes and notice your breathing. As you breath in -- bring your thoughts to Jesus. As you breath out -- express a word of gratitude or need. For example, breath in -- saying "Lord, Jesus Christ" -- breath out saying "have mercy on me." Throughout your day -- as you notice your breathing -- take note an...