Ancient Christian Wisdom
for Everyday Life
Wisdom for those with the wild ambition of getting as close to Jesus as they can on earth and living the kind of life that God desires every single day
Welcome to the Daily Monastic. I’m Barnabas the Monastic.
I have a wild ambition in life: get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as I can while on earth. I attempt to do that by learning to become a modern monastic. I explore and integrate ancient Christian monk wisdom in my modern everyday life. I write about it here. Feel free to write to me about your own journey. I currently reside in the “Great White North.”
Cultivating Relationships
Part of growing as a person is learning how to cultivate the relationships that you have with other people. Family. Friends. Acquaintances. Workmates. Strangers. Unless you've isolated yourself from the rest of the world, you're likely going to…
Try “Activity Bundling”
Time is tight. I know it and feel it almost every single day. I'm pursuing becoming a modern monastic. This means I embrace living in the modern world and I have modern responsibilities and a modern family to look after. At the same time, I pursue…
Learn to Adjust Routines
Several days ago, my two-year-old son turned into Ethan Hunt, the protagonist from the Mission Impossible movie series. He managed to scale his crib walls and jump right out. It was a hilarious event, which…
Serve in the Small Ways
Is it possible to follow Jesus as a disciple but not serve people in His name? Serving people is such an integral part of what it means to be a follower of Christ. After all, the Lord Jesus, Himself, stated that He…
Get the Family on Board
Living as a modern monastic means I spend lots of time in solitude for prayer and meditation. This can pose a unique challenge if you're raising a family. I happen to have a wife and a young son. In order for me to continue becoming a modern monastic, I have to make sure that my family willingly supports the idea. I certainly don't want them to…
Being OK with Doing Less
A few months ago, my family visited from overseas and lived with us in our home for several weeks. It was wonderful to be with family that I haven't seen in so long and to share life together once again. At the same time, having family over will naturally cause some disruption to…
Allow the Interruptions, Accept the Imperfections
The other day, I was spending some time with the Lord while watching over my one-year-old son. As a modern monastic with a very young family, I've had to learn to be creative with using the limited amount of time I have each day. Working through some spiritual exercises while attending to some light responsibilities is one way for me to…
Flexibility is Key for Modern Monastics
The other day, my wife wanted to go on a date. Every so often, we go out to spend a little bit of time with each other in the midst of our hectic family life. An activity like this poses an interesting dilemma for a modern monastic. On the one hand, I really enjoy going out with my wife. On the other hand, I know that…