Talking Back: A Guide for Fighting Demons

In his powerful book, Live No Lies, John Mark Comer introduces us to the work of Evagrius of Pontus. Evagrius was a 4th century monk and author of a number of texts on spiritual formation, especially the formation of the mind. One such work is titled, Antirrhetikos, or Talking Back. In Talking Back, Evagrius laysContinue reading “Talking Back: A Guide for Fighting Demons”

Know Thyself

Let’s just say it. The world has gone nuts. Maybe it was always this nuts, but with a camera in everyone’s hands, we have the ability the view just how nuts things truly are. It is quite embarrassing how many public freakouts and confrontations are taking place all over the United States and the restContinue reading “Know Thyself”

Self-Compassion

One of the hardest lessons I have learned about mindfulness meditation is the need for self-compassion and self-kindness. Maybe I am alone in this particular form of craziness, but the first time I read those words, I cringed. Why? Because I know that I am a sinful human being. I have a history of addiction.Continue reading “Self-Compassion”

Mindfulness and Resting With God

As I continue my series of posts on the Christian mindfulness practices (you can check out the earlier posts here and here), today I want to talk about my favorite form of meditation–Contemplative Prayer. As with Lectio Divina, contemplative prayer took me a long time to wrap my head around. Every time I read orContinue reading “Mindfulness and Resting With God”

Beginner’s Guide to Meditation

First, let’s address the elephant in the room. Meditation covers a wide range of practices used by different religious and non-religious groups. Personally, I define meditation as an “intentional practice of focus and concentration.” This leaves open the questions of “How do we concentrate?” and “On what do we focus?” The answers to these questionsContinue reading “Beginner’s Guide to Meditation”

Mind Your Brain

Have you ever thought about how you think? Yes, I know that is oddly phrased, but I mean it. As humans, we have this amazing ability to turn our thoughts back on ourselves, to think about our own thoughts. We can even think about our own thought processes. A major part of the practice ofContinue reading “Mind Your Brain”