A 20-year study was recently completed at Florida State University on the positive effects of prayer—and the results were startling. Read more
A 20-year study was recently completed at Florida State University on the positive effects of prayer—and the results were startling. Read more
Are you busy? In today’s modern world, it seems we all are. We cram our lives with so much busyness that we, in effect, become spiritually lazy. We don’t allot the time, or have the will power, to engage in a regular spiritual practice—including the recommended two daily meditation sessions that can lead to greater mindfulness (the ability to focus our attention on the present moment). There may be an easier way to be mindful and it comes from Google.... Read more
People who are not religious are twice as likely to believe in ghosts and UFOs as those who are religious. Read more
Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them. Read more
I’m not on Facebook much, but a few days ago I stumbled upon a startling post on my feed. It was from a “friend”, a woman named Jolie, who was announcing her own death and memorial service. Upon closer inspection, I realized Jolie had given the keys to her account to someone else—and actually had passed away at the age of 49. Like a lot of Facebook friends, I didn’t really know her, though we had been friends since 2012.... Read more
In his recent book Unshakeable, the life philosophy guru Tony Robbins lays down the basics on smart financial investing. In a nutshell: stick with index funds, diversify, and invest with your head, not your heart. Yet most interesting for the spiritually inclined are the chapters toward the end of the book where Robbins steers away from financial advice to make an important point: Financial well-being means nothing without mental and spiritual well-being. Robbins uses the following quote by Mahatma Gandhi... Read more
As we grow spiritually, we can sometimes get ahead of ourselves. We may think we’re leading a pristine spiritual life, regularly attending religious services, reading the latest spirituality best-sellers, engaging in a yoga or meditation practice. But we can sometimes forget the basics—the simple daily acts that can enrich our lives and the lives of those around us. I was reminded of this when I picked up a book by someone I consider my spiritual mentor, Sir John Templeton. While... Read more
In silence, we come to know God. The evocative quote above comes from Benjamin Riggs and his book Finding God in the Body where Riggs looks at the elusive nature of God and how and where we might connect with the divine. One way is through a practice that is known as centering prayer, an act that might be thought of as a Christian version of meditation. Centering prayer was originally referred to as contemplative prayer. While its origin may... Read more
Last year, I featured excerpts from several college commencement speeches. This year, I’m focusing on one. It’s a speech by a U.S. senator from my home state, Cory Booker of New Jersey, given to the graduating class at the University of Pennsylvania last month. Booker is an excellent storyteller and he kicked off his speech with a fascinating anecdote about Mahatma Gandhi that I’ll paraphrase below. Mahatma Gandhi had a busy schedule and was often rushing from place to place.... Read more
There are two sides to all of us. There is the public-facing side, the person we are at work, at social functions or out and about in our community. And then there’s the side behind the mask, our private side, the place where we keep our innermost beliefs, our hopes and dreams, our fears and struggles, our relationship with God. It’s this private or inner side that is most fascinating. It reveals who we really are, what makes us tick.... Read more
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