Post #20- Burn Baby Burn!

 

“Catch on fire and others will love to come watch you burn.” ~John Wesley

Yesterday we spoke about multi-dimensional knowing, understanding that we are more than our minds and bodies, but within the richness of consciousness resides the spirit or soul part of us. Therefore, if we aren’t accessing the potential of all three, we are incomplete and, according to the Bible (I Thessalonians), unholy.  Meaning, when we engage our whole selves, mind, body, and soul, and learn to live out of the totality of our personhood and the gifts it offers, then we truly function out of multi-dimensional knowing, using our own sacred divinity, the very image or reflection of God, to “experience” life.

As we contemplate living wholly and thereby holy, we are simply saying that we are showing up for life, committed to being passionately present and deeply aware of our phenomenological existence; consequently living life on fire!.  This requires being keenly conscious and rooted in the now. We should be mentally, physically and spiritually aware of what we’re feeling and thinking and how we’re reacting and responding to our present condition. Simply stated, we are not to exist but rather experience life fully.

In a world of quantitative skepticism and modernist rationalism, experience and the power thereof is often discarded. This is why I deeply enjoy what Methodist circles tout as the “Wesleyan Quadrilateral.” John Wesley, religious reformer and founder of the Methodist Movement, is attributed to having used four pillars of discernment when considering any issue, theological or otherwise. As a person of Christian faith, scripture was quite naturally included. He also used [church] tradition, trusting in the wisdom of those before him. Reason was also invoked, which includes science and other forms of “secular” knowledge. Lastly, but in some ways most importantly is one’s experience. Personal, human, individual truth remains a fundamental determiner of the measure of joy, peace, and prosperity we encounter. Therefore, our experience of our life makes all of the difference and contains many of the answers to your questions and life’s mysteries.

So, how are you experiencing your life? Or in other words, what are the predominant emotions, fears, and motivations you meet daily? What seems to be the overarching story or narrative of your life? It is one of joy and victory or one of defeat and dismay?

I know some folks will say that I’m putting too much emphasis on experience while neglecting the preeminence of scripture. Don’t get me wrong, I love scripture and I take it seriously (just not always literally). However, as British author and scholar Karen Armstrong says, “the biblical God is a starter kit.” I agree with her.

The biblical text is there to point in the right direction and offer a foundation, but it’s only the launching pad for a lifelong spiritual quest toward transcendence. God and all that God is is beyond any book, even one as awesome as the Bible! Meaning, God is that which can't be spoken of, expressed, heard, seen or even completely understood (and the best we can get to fathoming glimpses of the Divine is through multi-dimensional knowing). So, if our view or conception of God hasn't changed much over the years then something is stagnant or underdeveloped, and we certainly aren’t “experiencing” God in our life.

I have a few more things to say but I’ll save them for tomorrow, not wanting to risk making the post too lengthy (see, I remember the promise I made in Post #1).  I’ll merely leave you with the challenge to employ all of yourself in order to experience the richness and fullness of life. Look deeply, feel intently, and be conscious of you as you. What is your experience of life mentally, physically and spiritually…. and how does that inform who and what you are and how and what you know. Once you get clear on your own experience you’ll find yourself deeply rooted in the fire and energy of life………of God. In the meantime, please know……

This is not the end of your story. Your best days are not behind you, they are ahead of you. So, experience life with all that you are and with all that you have. Be passionately present to yourself and your surroundings, and you’ll recognize you have #bigthingscoming!

Phenomenologically Yours!  

 ~Ray

NOTE: If you’re new to the site it might be helpful to read my first introductory post. Also, feel free to post your questions or comments here and you can always reach out to me on Twitter @raycjordan using the hash tag #bigthingscoming.

(Copyright, 2013, Ray Jordan) 

Post #19- Whole

 

"Leave space for God to walk through the room." ~ Quincy Jones

I am currently writing a dissertation to complete the requirements for a PhD. It’s been a long but rewarding journey. However, when initially looking at where and what I wanted to focus my doctoral studies, I knew it had to be a low-residency program that didn’t require me to leave my children, who were still very small then.  So, in my search I ran upon some great schools (like Fordham and Penn) who extended the needed flexibility but only offered programs in subjects such as organizational leadership, which at the time didn’t appeal to me at all (in fact I thought earning a PhD in Organizational Leadership would be as intellectually engaging as watching paint dry). Then, upon the suggestion of a friend who did his doctoral studies at Yale, I looked into Union Institute and University. I was sold on their program values, which included social justice and engaging difference, but it would only be later that I realized the tremendous value that a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (with a particular concentration is Public Policy and Social Change) would offer me (Note: I have even gone on to teach interdisciplinary theory and research at the University of Texas at Arlington).

Interdisciplinarity calls for an integration of ideas (specifically disciplinary insights), recognizing that real world problems require real world solutions, which are seldom found within one narrow discipline or perspective. Now, I hope I haven’t lost you with the geeky details of interdisciplinary theory, but I offer this to highlight the power and beauty found in stretching our minds and perspectives to consider something new or to include additional perspectives, viewpoints, or ways of knowing.

Holistic learning and living, I believe, is fundamental to spirituality. When we stretch ourselves in new ways we began to understand that duality has bamboozled us into right-wrong, either-or arguments that leave no room for new ideas, innovation or creativity. While I have previously written about duality (Post #3), and the lie it tells, I want to reiterate the beauty of integrative thinking and being. All of this world and every inch of knowledge it contains is sacred. Likewise, all of us is given to “us” to learn and be and thrive in the world. Unfortunately, many aspects of Modernism call us away from any manner of knowing that isn’t deeply steeped in mental logic and sensory data. If we can’t physically see, hear, touch, smell or taste it….then it simply doesn’t or can’t exist. However, I beg to differ. Most of reality, that is, most of what is “real”, cannot not be completely understood with the five senses. In fact, I’d like to suggest to you that we have an inner knowing, an ability to know without the limitations of sensory data.

Deep in our souls we know who we are and of the incredible power we are connected. We just need to be reminded of it. So, for the next few posts I’d like to discuss what I like to call multi-dimensional or multi-sensory knowing (what others have called multisensory perception). For, indeed, we have the ability to transcend the restrictive nature of our physical selves and live more fully out of our souls or spiritual selves.

I Thessalonians 5:23, from the traditional King James Version of the Bible, states:

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This same scripture, from The Message Translation, says, “May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body.” Yes! Do you see the truth of this text? Holy equals whole. Here, the text says that we are one-third “soul,” which comes from the Greek word meaning psyche or mind but is often translated as “soul.” Therefore when the text reads spirit, soul, and body, it is understood as spirit, MIND, and body (though in contemporary language we often use soul and spirit interchangeably to mean the unseen transcendent part or essence of us). Meaning, if we are only using our minds, we are incomplete and unholy (and let’s not forget the religious folks who never seem to use their minds but want to reside in the ether of mysticism and spooky spirituality. They too are incomplete and unholy).

My point? We are holy, sacred, and living in our divinity when we integrate all parts of ourselves. Our wholeness brings forth a knowing that can’t be achieved by only using the rational, logical, sense data of the body and mind.  While both the mind and body are of grave importance, it is incomplete without the transcendent knowing of the spirit (or soul in contemporary vernacular). 

More on this tomorrow, but I challenge you to leave this blog asking if you are complete. Are you wholly all you have been created to be? Are you in touch with your “spirit” and are you tapping into your own multi-dimensional knowing that transcends the physical? Please don’t read these questions as posed to someone else. They are directed at you and are meant to be taken literally.

There is a world of wonder and beauty that can’t be fully imagined with the eye of the mind alone, but rather must be accessed through the gateway of our soul.  In the words of the creative genius and music legend Quincy Jones, “Leave room for God to walk through the room.” These are his words of wisdom in regards to creativity and music production but I think they make a good mantra for life as well. Don’t get so absorbed in your body, mind, or soul, but live fully and wholly….and holy, leaving room for God to walk through the room or space of your life. For when God walks through the room, you’ll certainly be reminded…..

This is not the end of your story. Your best days are not behind you, they are ahead of you. Don’t get stuck in your head, but live life fully and completely, for when you “know” multi-dimensionally you’ll see you have #bigthingscoming!

Holy and Wholly!  

 ~Ray

NOTE: If you’re new to the site it might be helpful to read my first introductory post. Also, feel free to post your questions or comments here and you can always reach out to me on Twitter @raycjordan using the hash tag #bigthingscoming.

(Copyright, 2013, Ray Jordan) 
 

Post #18- Exhale

I have long said self-examination is the key characteristic of an emotionally, mentally, and spiritually mature and healthy person. Yes, being able to truly experience this life, be present for it and learn from it is the key to perfect peace and pure joy. So, in order to achieve that, it’s imperative that we’re able to take a good look around us and examine who and what we are, where we are, and why we are there. So, today (as I do every Sunday), I share with you one of my devotionals that particularly moved me this week, and ask that you let it speak to you. Happy Sunday ya’ll! ~Ray

________________________________________________________________________________

EXHALE

I release what no longer serves me.

My lungs have a finite capacity. So to inhale more air, I must first exhale. Breathing is a continuous process of receiving and releasing. It exemplifies the ongoing ebb and flow of life.

Exhaling and inhaling are essential for human life. As I exhale, carbon dioxide is released, which sustains other life forms. I breathe out what no longer serves me so I can take in the life-giving oxygen I need. All life is nourished by releasing the old and opening to the new.

Today I contemplate what I am willing to release and what I am willing to embrace; what I am willing to give and what I am willing to receive. I open to the ebb and flow of life.

The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.—Genesis 2:7

Post #17- Stress Busters!

Stop it! Right now, stop it! I feel the tension and anxiety building in your mind and body. I feel the effects of your hectic life taking its toll and you beginning to stress out. So, my message for you today is simply….STOP IT!

Ok, take a deep breath…feel the air deeply filling your lungs, until your chest is inflated. Now slowly release the air, while also consciously releasing the stress and whatever situation is causing it……REPEAT. Feel better?

Stress is a universal part of the human experience. Stress is a common denominator; no matter what walk of life from which we come, we all experience it. However, our stress has undergone an evolution throughout the centuries. While our ancestors’ stress was a necessary survival technique to negotiate the wilderness around them (saber tooth tigers and the such), the majority of our modern day stress is largely situational (traffic, kids, work) and can be easily manipulated if not all together avoided. Below is portion of a presentation I gave to students of the Interdisciplinary National Leadership Organization (INLO) of the University of Texas at Arlington (where for the past two years I have served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor, teaching classes in interdisciplinary theory and research). These are some tricks of the trade as it relates to effectively managing stress.

·      First, recognize that there is both good stress (eustress) and bad stress (distress). Clearly, what is good for one might be bad for another, and what begins as good stress could easily become bad. However, some examples of eustress might include planning a wedding or other big celebration, a deadline for a project or staring a new job. Eustress can help motivate and challenge us to do and be our best. Distress, on the other hand, is destructive and is both mentally and physically taxing.

·      The key is BALANCE and PERSPECTIVE. So, in order to eliminate distress or transform it into eustress, we must manipulate our body’s natural response to stress, fight or flight, and counteract stress’s negative effects in a balanced and wholistic way.

1.     PHYSICAL: As we seek to understand and neutralize the fight or flight response in our bodies, it is helpful if we:

a.     Gain Control of Your Breathing (try yoga, tai chi, meditation)

b.     Exercise (especially our “fight or flight” muscles, which include our arms and legs through jobbing, walking or shadow boxing/punching bag or lifting weights)

c.      Get a Massage

d.     Take a Hot Bath

e.     Laugh

f.      Cry

2.     MENTAL: If we learn to soothe our troubled minds, we would be surprised how easily our stress will melt away.

a.     Get Away from the Noise-Find some quiet time.

b.     Meditate/Use Your Imagination- See yourself in a tranquil place or visualize a better situation.

c.      Create a Mantra- Repeat a helpful quote or word.

d.     Listen to Calming Music (classical or gospel always works for me).

3.     SPIRITUAL: Most of our stress can be treated with a change of perspective (remember, when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change).

a.     See Problems as Opportunities.

b.     Don't Take it Personally- Understand that sometimes there is no right answer.  And sometimes new things aren’t necessarily right or wrong, better or worse, but rather just different.

c.      Refute Negative Thoughts- Tell yourself a different story.

d.     Control Yourself, Not Others.

e.     Be Yourself.

f.      Surrender/It is What is It Is/Let Go and Let God

g.     Self-Belief/Self-Confidence- You are bigger than this situation and it too will pass.  

If we’re not careful, stress can take us out, creating a distraction from our purpose and unnecessary drama. We all experience it but likewise, we also have the ability to offset its effects and eliminate the negativity from our lives. So, the next time you encounter a stressful moment…make a different choice. Don’t react, but rather choose peace and love. Go within yourself, take a step back, maybe employ some of the techniques above, but most importantly smile, remembering…..

This is not the end of your story. Your best days are not behind you, they are ahead of you. Breathe deeply and release all stress keep looking ahead because you have #bigthingscoming!

Too Blessed to be Stressed!  

 ~Ray

NOTE: If you’re new to the site it might be helpful to read my first introductory post. Also, feel free to post your questions or comments here and you can always reach out to me on Twitter @raycjordan using the hash tag #bigthingscoming.

(Copyright, 2013, Ray Jordan)

Post #16- I Won't/Can't Complain!

I was talking to my mother a few days ago and she mentioned that she was particularly moved by her Upper Room devotional this morning. The scripture included was Psalm 139:14,

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

At the thought of this, she said she literally began to sob. I told her that too often we judge ourselves for what we are or are not or what we should or should not be. She concurred, saying that before reading this scripture in her morning devotion she had just stepped out of the shower looked into the mirror and lamented at the overweight image that looked back at her (her estimation, not mine). But after she read these words she became filled with the love of God, knowing that what ever her weight, she was “ok” because God had created that body.

God is the master creator and as any other artist, God is a little sensitive about God’s work. If you are an artist or if you know one, you’re aware that the most hurtful or offensive thing you can do to an artist is to criticize or degrade his or her work. God is the master and we , along with all of creation, are the masterpiece.  So, who are we to judge each other or even ourselves? When we harshly judge the creation, we offer grave offense to the Creator. Therefore, I offer this story not to embarrass my mother or to even suggest we shouldn’t be concerned with our health and wellness, but to call an end to the harsh criticism and burden of perfection we often put on ourselves. Albert Einstein is quoted to have said, “A man [or woman] should always look for what is, not what should be.” Our job, first and foremost, is to see what is, and not just see it, but give thanks for it!

Right now, right where you are, stop and give thanks for what is. It may not be what you think it should be, but thank God it’s not what it could be. Be present in the now of what is, and allow the sobering power of gratitude to move you from self-loathing to self-loving, that is loving ourselves as ourselves.  We must renew and re-know ourselves. For, when we know and love ourselves we know God in God’s majestic beauty, for we are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made.

Take a full-faced and wholehearted look at what is. It may not be exactly what we had planned, but be confident it contains everything you need to get where you’re going. So, be thankful and be quiet! Stop the negative self-talk and the self-deprecating humor that just ain’t funny.  Know that you are enough, simply enough, because……

This is not the end of your story. Your best days are not behind you, they are ahead of you. Release all judgment regarding your life, your body, or your current circumstance, but rather stand in the gratitude of “now” that will actually empower you to change it. Keep your head up because you have #bigthingscoming!

Thankful!  

 ~Ray

NOTE: If you’re new to the site it might be helpful to read my first introductory post. Also, feel free to post your questions or comments here and you can always reach out to me on Twitter @raycjordan using the hash tag #bigthingscoming.

(Copyright, 2013, Ray Jordan)

Post #15- It'll Work if You Work it!

Wow! If you didn’t read yesterday’s post, please go back and read it. It was one of those unique experiences of beginning in one place and truly being led to go another direction. I began by referencing my mother and a conversation we recently had and continued to tell the miraculously story of her deliverance from crack cocaine (no rehab…just prayer).  Now, I certainly have nothing against rehab and in fact would highly recommend it, however it hadn’t worked for my mother and our family was quite hopeless….but GOD.

Today, I pick up where I left off yesterday, simply explaining that my mother has become one of my biggest teachers. Seeing her spiritual growth has encouraged me in ways unimaginable, as she often remarks that she loves to tell her story and share her spiritual journey. In saying that the other day, I responded by reminding her that one of my favorite scriptures instructs that we have overcome by the “word of our testimony” (Revelations 12:11). Therefore, every time we share our story, we get to experience that victory over and over again in addition to helping someone experience his or her own triumph. Having said that, I’d like to share a couple of examples of my own experiences in what I like to call “meditated listening,” in hopes that my testimony will help you.

A couple of days ago I shared some practical tips to listening for the God-voice within and techniques to paying attention to the leading of our souls.  I explained that many things might bubble up, some of them strange, but I also cautioned you not to judge them, just to hear them and take them in. (Note: I know I’m not suppose to end a sentence with a preposition, but I want this blog to be more conversational, so please forgive me). Now, I want to share with you a time or two that I have experienced great insight through my own process of meditated listening. 

Just the other day, I recognized that I was carrying offense in me against a couple of people and a couple of organizations that I thought had not treated me well. Although I realized that it had all worked out in my favor, I still experienced a little tinge of resentment or hard feelings in my thoughts toward them (also note, that one has to be well in touch with their own feelings to even recognize this as an issue and not justify it).

So, I brought this to with me during my meditated listening time, asking God/the Universe to remove it.  As I sat meditating, images of three other friends came to mind, each of whom had recently experienced really good news. What is this about??? Well, I began to see that I had drank a little “hater-ade” and my uncomfortable feelings about all of them was grounded in a deep rooted fear of rejection and simply being left-out. I felt all of the aforementioned persons and organizations had moved forward in a way that made me either feel rejected or left-out and therefore inadequate.

Once I recognized this, I immediately began to picture each person (all five of them…damn!) completely happy and joyful…and then in the recesses of my heart, I blessed them. I sincerely and honestly wished them all the best, after which I continued to sink deeply in the stillness of my soul while a variety of thoughts of inspiration began to fill my mind and body, making me feel safe and loved and offering me glimpses of my future (but I think I’ll keep those to myself J). However, needless to say, I finished my meditation time feeling empowered and healed and joyful!

I fear this post is already too long, so I’ll forego the second example and end here (for more conversation please post below and we’ll keep the conversation going), but you get the point, right? I hope I’ve offered a more practical example of how meditated listening can work to bring peace and love and healing to you. In conclusion, please don’t just read these words, but please work it!  Remember, you are responsible for you life, so take it by the horns, knowing…….

This is not the end of your story. Your best days are not behind you, they are ahead of you.  These tips and techniques are for you but they’ll only work if you work them. So, stay encouraged, and keep your head up because, as always, there are #bigthingscoming!

Keep on Workin’ It!  

 ~Ray

NOTE: If you’re new to the site it might be helpful to read my first introductory post. Also, feel free to post your questions or comments here and you can always reach out to me on Twitter @raycjordan using the hash tag #bigthingscoming.

(Copyright, 2013, Ray Jordan)

Post #14- Seed.....Time.......and Harvest

My mother has become one of my greatest teachers, however if you had suggested this seven years ago I would have laughed you out the room. See, my beloved grandmother recently transitioned, but the end of her life began seven and a half years ago after she suffered  a debilitating brain aneurysm, leaving her bedridden for the last seven years of her life. Surprisingly, of all of her seven children and host of grandchildren, my mother volunteered to move to Arkansas (from California) to take care of her. I may share more of this miraculous story in another post, but know that my mother was the most unlikely choice. Nevertheless,  I simply wanted  to share this to  put my previous statement into context. Meaning, at the time of my grandmother’s illness my mother and I weren’t on speaking terms, but today she stands as one of my best friends and greatest teachers. The horrid experience of my grandmother’s illness resulted in a relationship with my mother that I would not have imagined.

Ok! Mentioning my mother was only to preface what I originally wanted to share with you but I feel this post beginning to change, so I’ll “go with the flow” and continue sharing one of the greatest lessons I've learned surrounding my mother because I sense someone reading needs to hear it (check back tomorrow and I’ll continue with more tips and techniques).  

In the Bible’s book of Mark, fourth chapter (verses 26-29), Jesus explains the “Kingdom of God” using imagery of a farmer, saying:

 He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, ²⁷ and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. ²⁸ The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. ²⁹ But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Here, Jesus explains the operational strategy of his kingdom and likens it to the process of seed maturation. This paradigm or archetype is seen time and again through the Bible. A seed is planted, time passes and ultimately a harvest is gathered. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus can be seen similarly. Jesus was a seed, his death and burial is a time of planting and maturation and his resurrection the ultimate harvest.  So it is in our lives. There are many things we encounter and endure that we simply do not and cannot understand at the time. However, if we stay grounded and present, in the words of the old hymn, “we’ll understand it better by and by!”

This is exactly what manifested in my relationship with my mother, who had spent 20 years as an alcoholic and drug addict. In fact, one of the reasons my grandmother and I were so terribly close was the bonding we experienced over the distress of my mother’s addiction. Mother's addiction and out of control behavior wore on the minds and hearts of our family in ways that are, honestly, still being processed. So, at the point of my grandmother’s illness I had simply given up on my mother’s recovery and surrendered her to the Universe. But then something occurred, the trauma of my grandmother's sudden illness. Just as terrifying and heartbreaking the crucifixion is presented to be in the biblical text, so was my grandmother’s sudden illness and debilitation to me and my family. However, through the pain of the crucifixion, came the joy of resurrection.

My grandmother’s health and ultimate life was a seed planted. It certainly wouldn’t have been my choice of seed (but knowing my grandmother and having heard the heart wrenching prayers she often lifted for my mother, I believe she offered herself), but it seems that it was only through that experience or “seed” that my mother can proudly claim the harvest of sobriety today (for up to that point NOTHING had worked). Through the process of coming home to care for her ailing mother, day and night, hand and foot for seven years, she was miraculously delivered from crack cocaine and alcohol….and TOBACCO (which may have actually been her hardest battle).

So, whatever you are experiencing or have experienced in life, don’t become despondent or depressed or weary, just consider it a seed sown. May I suggest that you offer it to God as a seed and trust that in time you will reap a harvest beyond your own making or doing or even conceiving.  For this life is funny but it ain’t no joke! Meaning, things often happen that we can't wrap our minds around at the time, but there is powerful seed potential in every difficulty if we will simply plant it and allow God to use it. So, while you may not always understand, you must believe that your hardships can and will produce a harvest of complete joy and love and peace and fulfillment if you can only hold to the truth that….

This is not the end of your story. Your best days are not behind you, they are ahead of you.  Stand in faith and refuse to dwell in the pity of your past, yet instead offer every hard time and hardship as a seed to God and then expect your harvest of #bigthingscoming!

Standing in Faith!  

 ~Ray

NOTE: If you’re new to the site it might be helpful to read my first introductory post. Also, feel free to post your questions or comments here and you can always reach out to me on Twitter @raycjordan using the hash tag #bigthingscoming.

(Copyright, 2013, Ray Jordan)