Deep Breath

This blessing is a departure from our usual format. It's a brief pause for you to stop and be refreshed. May your spirit be blessed and may you  experience the God Who is Always There.  Most of this blessing was read from Blessing Your Spiri t by Sylvia Gunter and Arthur Burk.  

Being in nature has a deep impact on us Earthlings. From our toes to nose, we come more alive when we spend time out-of-doors and mingle with God's creation. Whether you get your hands into the dirt and manifest a garden, or kick off your shoes to feel sand on your soles, or you plan activities around the unique pace every season nature brings - be reminded that we are "soil people, inspired by th...

Kids are forever asking questions. At a certain age "why" seems to be a favorite! These inquiries are a seeking for knowledge and understanding about a complex world. As adults, the questions can get more complicated and the answers harder to reach. But what if we approached the asking as a spiritual practice? Jesus was often answering questions with questions; teaching through the asking of quest...

What ignites your creativity, stimulates zeal for life, and sparks joy within? Maybe those aren't quickly answered. Maybe you'll want to sit with these and wonder a while. You might think back and retrieve earlier memories of when you were inspired or go on a hunt for what made you "come alive". Loss of imagination is often a byproduct of becoming an adult (similar to Playtime, S2 E61) A great pla...

Admittedly, creating a "life map" or even looking back over your life, can be intimidating and perhaps even scary. In this exercise, Michelle walks you through reflection questions and presents several options to customize this experience of allowing God to speak to you through the mountains, valleys and detours of your life. You can find your "joy spots" along the way! The episode is based on Chr...

As we grow up we usually grow out of childlike ways of exploration and curiosity. We take life, work, God and ourselves rather seriously. And when it comes to devotion or spiritual disciplines, we almost never consider play as an option for connecting with The Divine. But what if play holds a key to more intimacy with God, self, and others? We'll never know unless we try it on! Refernces: The Gift...

As part of our Summer Series - Playful Practices in Awe & Wonder - we'll be offering a few guided practices from the book; The Gift of Wonder. Michelle will give you instructions and share her own beautiful experience with Visio Divina. This episode is only 8 mintues, but you can extend your time in contemplation for much longer. Check out Michelle's blog for written directions and you'll also fin...

We continue our highlights from the book, The Gift of Wonder by Christine Aroney-Sine. From chapters 2 & 3, Lexie & Michelle are taking a peek at awe deprivation and how playful practices help us recover awe and wonder, but also how we need anchoring practices of restoration and transformation. What's the difference? The playful practices from this book will be explored all summer in our episodes,...

We're sharing another great book with you, friends! And this time we're doing more than chatting about the content. Because this book is chock-full of FUN spiritual practices to try-on (right up our alley!): we cordially extend an invite to YOU to join us in these playful pathways to God over this summer. Buy the book or just implement what we offer in these episodes. Jump in, the water's fine! Bu...

We are hoping for curiosity, not controversy with this one. Though we know (oh, we know!) that there are some Christians that are opposed to considering yoga as an acceptable form of exercise, let alone an act of worship. Here's some of our experiences, our convictions, and our love for sharing this practice that has transformed us and countless others who follow Christ Jesus. Referenced: Yoga S1...

It's unofficially SUMMERTIME! And the flow of life will change for a few months. So, we are asking 'where would we like to allocate our energy?' How can we make room for fun and structure and spontaneity and space to do nothing and still have those life-as-usual-days? These are our thoughts on the perfect summer rhythm. Book reference: Spiritual Rhythm - by Mark Buchanan

Another great book that's changing the way we do things: "The Art of Gathering". Whether you're planning a family reunion, a birthday, or a neighborhood potluck this book draws out 'the why' of your gathering. Giving fantastic perspective and great questions to consider the purpose of bringing people together. Sometimes events are just to hang out, and sometimes we want deeper meaning, connection,...

A year ago we read a book that impacted the way we see ourselves and treat ourselves. A 12 week course, homework and all, it opened us up to the truth that humans were created in the image of a Creative God, therefore all humans are creatives. Whether you've read this book, or ever will, we trust this episode will inspire you to play, create, and offer yourself compassion. The Artist's Way - by Ju...

Do you long to be more present to God, yourself and to others? This meditation will give you three methods to foster present moment awareness. Think of this as your mini-retreat, your sacred pause for today.  David Benner quotes are from : Opening to God Royalty Music from Pixabay:  Reverie-Now, Beautiful Life Poem from Ted Loder's book, Guerilla's of Grace. The poem titled: Thank you for Each Mom...

As the world begins to open up and opportunities to return to some of our "normal" pre-pandemic activities emerge, what have we learned? What treasures have we found in this past year that we want to carry with us as we move forward? We invite ourselves and you to practice discernment and awareness to intentionally re-engage so we don't get swept up into old familiar patterns and schedules. 

We continue our conversation about discernment with ideas on "how to". Several of these practices can be mixed and matched, adding depth and focus to seeking God's activity within. Check out past episodes on these spiritual disciplines and let us know what's aiding your discernment process! Examen Practice S1 E27; Spiritual Direction S1 E25; Next Right Thing podcast, Episode #169. The following ar...

Discernment: we all need it, for all kinds of situations! But it's more than decision making, it's a way of guiding your life. Where is God active and how can you participate with Him? And if there are choices to be made, big or small, how can you know which one He'd prefer? In Part 1 we share some of our personal experiences of discernment and let you in on how it's more of an art form than a for...

Michelle candidly shares a life long struggle around Being vs Doing and Lexie asks questions.  Maybe you can relate to this struggle? Why is it so hard to feel accepted as we are without "soldiering on" or striving? We'll walk you through a little journaling and meditation at the end so you can soak in the fact that you are loved without "doing" one more thing.  Book: Nice Girls Don't Change the W...

Collaborating on this podcast just “happened”! And then we got surprised by all the joy it brings us. We share some behind the scenes stuff and what we’ve learned and experienced in our first year of partnership. Our one year anniversary calls for celebrating with gift gifting! For the first 5 listeners who leave a positive review we'll send you our very favorite candle from Hometown Candle Compan...

This episode is actually 1 of 3 meditations created to contemplate the rhythms of the Spitual Life. A cycle of death, burial, and resurrection found in nature and in the soul. A rythmn that includes death before life, light in the dark, loosing your life to gain True Life. You can have the other two meditations for FREE! Normally 14.99, you can download them now for free and listen anytime! Availa...

Announcing a surprise just for our faithful listeners! Lexie has prepared three peaceful meditations around the theme: Death, Burial and Resurrection. These short but powerful meditations are perfect for Holy Week. After this week they will be $14.99, but for this week, you can get them completely free at:   www.breatheandbe.net/podcast

We've got an extra special element in this episode! Not only do we chat about what it means to embody prayer; to pray and involve your body. We then walk you through it, so you can follow along! AND! We created an expanded *video* version for you to actually practice what we talk about! Link to video: https://youtu.be/6r-6kJwvFn4 Reference:  Embodied Prayer by Celeste Snowber Schroeder; Praying wi...

Ever wonder how you can ever fulfill the Biblical instruction to "pray without ceasing" (I Thessalonians 5:17)?  Breath prayer is a simple and beautiful practice to help you pray and be present to God in every part of your day. Connect your inhale and exhale to a simple prayer and you can use your breath prayer when you're in traffic, walking your dog, doing your dishes . . . virtually any time. L...

Tension from differing points of view has the power to break a relationship. But what if we could remember that a person is more important than an opinion? Can we choose to dig deeper into loving the person, more than digging in our heels and loving being right? (Interview w/Kiyomi episode #24)

Our first in-person a spiritual practices workshop went so well and we want to tell our listeners about it. Here's the low-down on why did it, what we did, and how it went. If you're wishing you could have joined us, we have good news...TBD: our next workshop! We hope you enjoy our debrief, and also that come to our next Try It On Workshop.