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Tag: gratitude

Joy of Being Thankful

September 1, 2023August 30, 2023 ~ James ~ Leave a comment

I find it meaningful to begin my day in gratitude. So I have a gratitude practice. Gratitude Practice (summarized) Open my journal. Close my eyes and “breathe myself here.” Open my eyes and say, “I am thankful for…” Write name by name what arises from that statement. When I reach a “stopping point,” repeat out … Continue reading Joy of Being Thankful

Tech-Challenged Technophile

August 30, 2023August 30, 2023 ~ James ~ 1 Comment

What was the last thing you searched for online? Why were you looking for it? I enjoy, invest in, and regularly play with/utilize technology in a variety of forms. I imagine I am “tech-savvy.” Searching for simple tech how-to’s on the web is embarrassing for me. Yesterday I as listening to the Acoustic Hits playlist … Continue reading Tech-Challenged Technophile

Life As It Is and Could Be

August 29, 2023 ~ James ~ 1 Comment

What TV shows did you watch as a kid? There were three notable shows that immediately come to mind from my childhood. The first was Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, a show about nature and the realities of animals. I remember looking forward to the show weekly even when it was a repeat. Marlin Perkins … Continue reading Life As It Is and Could Be

Another Beautiful Day

August 27, 2023 ~ James ~ 1 Comment

Sundays are the day I consistently rise before the sun. I am awake by 5:00 AM and in “my chair” by 5:10 with a cup of coffee and the Silence as companions. This morning was no different and completely different. My space is at the back of our house, a small room addition with windows … Continue reading Another Beautiful Day

A Dream Last Night

August 26, 2023August 26, 2023 ~ James ~ Leave a comment

Tell us about the last thing you got excited about. Awakening this morning, I was excited to remember a dream. It is rare for me to recall one at all, let alone clearly. Here is how I might summarize it: I was back at university; the grounds were very familiar from the time I was … Continue reading A Dream Last Night

Living My Mission

August 23, 2023 ~ James ~ Leave a comment

What motivates you? I suppose there are any number of ways to answer this question. As a younger person, I was motivated by fear: of failure, of being unloved and unappreciated, of not-fitting-in, of mediocrity, of dying unknown. It is amazing what an unrelenting motivator fear was; it never let up and created stress, anxiety, … Continue reading Living My Mission

Helping Me Be the Best Me

August 17, 2023August 17, 2023 ~ James ~ Leave a comment

Daily writing promptWhat makes a teacher great?View all responses The best teachers I have had listened to me and addressed the needs I had. These teachers helped me discover myself- what excites me, what inspires me, how I learn- and then those teachers set me free to be me. That is an underrated gift teachers … Continue reading Helping Me Be the Best Me

For Everything A Time

August 16, 2023 ~ James ~ 1 Comment

My wife recently bought local peaches from the Farmer’s Market. Yesterday, I decided to have one as a morning snack; nothing was particularly unusual about a morning snack nor my eating fruit she brought home. The peach I chose from the bowl cut easily and was ripe. The first bite was a heavenly experience and … Continue reading For Everything A Time

Making Breakfast

August 6, 2023 ~ James ~ Leave a comment

Describe one habit that brings you joy. Every morning that I am home, I arise with my wife and while she is gone on a walk with our dog, I make breakfast. It is simple fare; we share oatmeal and coffee together. I am thankful as I measure out the water and then set it … Continue reading Making Breakfast

Patterns of Living

July 1, 2023 ~ James ~ Leave a comment

Daily writing promptWhat are your daily habits?View all responses Participation. I begin my day with preparing and sharing breakfast. It is the opportunity to participate in the lives of those I love. I get to offer a bit of myself and time to feed family (sometimes other guests, too!) and prepare them for the day. … Continue reading Patterns of Living

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Newer posts
  • Inhabiting Silence: Discovering the Spaciousness Beneath the Noise
  • Inhabiting the Ordinary: Discovering the Gift of Simply Being Present
  • Inhabiting Place: Learning to Be Here
  • Inhabiting Rest
  • Inhabiting Work: Letting the Inner Life Grow Hands
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You are infinitely precious and unconditionally loved for the gift you already are.

James Henry

Inhabiting Silence - Infinitely Precious

What if silence isn’t a prize at the end of a long spiritual climb, but the ground we’re already standing on? In this episode of the Infinitely Precious podcast, James Henry continues the “inhabit” series by inviting you to inhabit silence. After twelve to fourteen years of centering prayer practice, he shares how his understanding shifted. He used to try to achieve silence by blocking out noise. Now he sees silence as the spaciousness before sound, the quiet from which “let there be light” was spoken in Genesis, and a presence we carry with us everywhere.James reflects on Thomas Keating’s insight that silence is God’s original language. He explores how an ongoing, unfinished creation needs spaciousness to continue, and how that same creative space can open up in us. He explains how to find inner stillness in a crowded mall, at a loud concert, or amid the constant argument in your own head. He also offers a gentle introduction to meditation, from mantra practice to centering prayer and the sacred word, as a way to let go of thoughts without judging yourself. This is contemplative spirituality with no performance and no pressure, rooted in the truth that you are infinitely precious and unconditionally loved for the gift you already are.In This EpisodeWhy James stopped trying to achieve silence and began to inhabit itSilence as the spaciousness before sound, not something on the far side of noiseReading the opening of Genesis as a word arising from eternal silenceThomas Keating’s insight: silence as God’s original languageCreation as an ongoing process, and what that means for your own creativityFinding silence in a busy mall, a loud concert, or a restless mindCarrying inner silence with you, from a Portuguese café to your own deskA simple introduction to mantra meditation and centering prayerHow to use the sacred word to release thoughts, sounds, and feelings without naming themWhy silence practice is about being, not achievementThis week’s invitation: practice inhabiting silence ★ Support this podcast ★
  1. Inhabiting Silence 14:13
  2. Inhabiting the Ordinary 12:07
  3. Inhabiting Wonder 14:40
  4. Inhabiting Place 13:41
  5. Inhabiting Rest 15:31
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