Reflections

By Howard Thurman How good it is to center down! To sit quietly and see one’s self pass by! The streets of our minds seethe with endless traffic; Our spirits resound with clashing, with noisy silences, While something deep within hungers and thirsts for the still moment and the resting lull.

Reflection by Christina Palis How often do we sit quietly or rest in stillness? What might reveal itself to us if we were to turn away from noise and movement? What insights or joys or challenges or learnings or opportunities might come to us in the quiet and stillness of the present moment? In o

Please note that this reflection contains a discussion of suicide. Should you need it, the suicide prevention hotline is 1-800-273-8255 and the website for National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/. Reflection by by Emil Moldovan We all have to face suicide

Reflection by Melissa Carnell “With full intensity we seek.” To sit quietly is not laziness. The “deep within” is not withdrawal from responsibility. Thirst for stillness and rest is not apathy. No, “with full intensity we seek.” Alive and focused. Brave enough for stillness we finally have a c

Reflection by Christin Ditchfield Lazo. These are the deep questions: What are we doing with our lives? How are we using our gifts and talents? How are we spending the precious time, energy, and resources we’ve been given? And what are our motives? Put another way, what motivates us? What driv

Reflection by Eric Hughes. Proverbs 2 (NLT) certainly latched on to the notion of treasure, mentioning it three times in the first seven verses. It begins with a somewhat ambiguous idea of “treasuring my commands”. It’s difficult for myself, and I imagine most who value independence, to hear that

Reflection by Beth Bojarski. Once the soil is healthy, built up in nutrients and given the proper amount of water, a gardener’s greatest challenge is weeds; these sometimes small and other times gnarly greens that tangle with stems and roots and steal away resources from the plant the gardener int

Reflection by Loretta Sunderland In the early moments of this day, as the sun peeks over the tree-tops, I grab that first cup of coffee, and allow the warmth that emanates from that held cup to warm my hands. I turn my face towards the sun streaming through my window and I think “Oh God, you are so

Reflection by Gabriella Makuc. “Remain here, and watch with me.” It strikes me these days that God is the One who remains. God is the One who chooses to stay with us at all costs, bearing every disease that plagues us. Centering down into this moment is nothing less risky than accepting Jesus’

Reflection by Dr. Rachael Murphy. What does it mean to truly put your identity in Christ? It means being a true disciple. What does this entail? In Luke 14, Jesus lays out the terms of discipleship. There were great crowds following Him. Everyone loved the miracles, healing, and free food. Je

Reflection by Jeffery D. Whitfield Sometimes in the busyness of my life, I can hear the words, “be still”. I don’t always like it when this happens for I am a person who wants, sometimes needs to be busy and don’t like it when my plans are foiled by others and, to be honest, not even by the Holy S

Reflection by Douglas Kennedy. I want Howard Thurman to be wrong. I want everyone that’s said it’s good to be still, meditate, or find a place apart to also be wrong. Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, Martin Luther King Jr., Oprah, my therapist – all misguided, surely. Unfortunately for me, research shows

Reflection by Cara Ellen Modisett. What is the end of our doings? Where are we trying to go? Where do we put the emphasis and where are our values focused? For what end do we make sacrifices? Proverbs 3:5-6- “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all wa

Please note that this reflection contains explicit language. Reflection by Aneya Elbert In Bronnie Ware’s book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, she writes the biggest regret is “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.” After a recent close

Reflection by Linda Lundquist Crowe Yes. To sit quietly and let one’s self pass by is a good way to spend time. Necessary even, for some like me, to get out of my own way. But does it answer my questions? Rarely. Does it make it alright not to have answers? Often. It allows me to envision, i