My mind wanders a lot. I've accepted this as a fact of life for me. It's how God created me to be. It's advantageous in some sense because I'm constantly processing things in my mind. It helps me think through...

I spend quite a bit of time each day in the practice of contemplation. I define contemplation simply as "holy thinking." In contemplation, I deliberately reflect on God and on my life. God often speaks to me (not audibly, of course) through my times of contemplation. He may give me an encouragement that I need to hear. He may…

Several months ago, I was speaking at a retreat. During each session of a retreat, I usually like to reserve some space for a time of Q&A where people can ask any questions they have. I typically get questions asking me to speak into a particular situation in life. For example…

I've never heard the voice of God in a distinct audible way. I'd like to. Perhaps it will happen one day. Or perhaps it will only be something I will experience when I reach heaven and meet God there. But so far, it hasn't happened. I'm not bothered by this. Despite not…

One of the reasons I spend ample amounts of time in prayer and contemplation is to hear from God and receive as much direction as I possibly can from Him. It's my goal every day to move in step with what God desires. I may not get it perfectly right all the time, but I do hope that I'm getting better at it every single day. I believe that God knows the game plan for…

One of my favorite ways of entering into a time of meditation is by paying attention to my breathing. You'd be surprised by how often we hold our breath and engage in shallow breathing throughout the day. This kind of shallow breathing must do something to us and our bodies. I often like to…

One of my favorite ways to end the day is by practicing what is often referred to as the prayer of examen. It's an old spiritual practice developed by Ignatius of Loyola, a Catholic priest and theologian. He practiced it himself and taught it to others. Basically, I take some time to…

I have a box full of journals. That's because I've been journaling for more than two decades. If you peer into that box, you'll find dozens upon dozens of used notebooks. There's another reason why I have so many individual notebooks…

Several weeks ago, I had the wonderful chance to share about my modern monastic journey to a group of people. One person in the group had a really good question: "Are there any alternatives to journaling?" I've been…

There's an elderly woman who lives relatively close to where I do. Because of her age and health condition, she remains completely bed-ridden pretty much all day. Once a week, I visit her and…