Living Compass Spirituality & Wellness

Continuing his reflections from his recent walk of the Camino de Santiago, Scott reflects on the importance of marking the path for others.  

Scott talks about his recent experience of walking the Camino in Spain, reflecting on the wisdom of following ancient spiritual paths--not just in the actual walk of the Camino, but in our lives, too.  

In the 14th Chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus says that God will give us..."another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you." In this episode, Scott explores what it means to think of God as an Advocate for our well-being and then how i...

Architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe said, "Less is more," as he taught his students about minimalism.  In this episode, Scott talks about how "less is more" is good wisdom for our emotional, spiritual, and relational wellness.  

In this episode, Scott talks about moving to a new town and joining a new church and all the opportunities this provides for him to practice letting go. In order to make room for new life, we have first to be willing to let go of the old.

Listening is one of the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves and others. In this episode, Scott talks about the connection between listening to the Holy as a contemplative practice and intentionally listening to one another in a way that we encounter the Holy in our conversations with each other. 

Reconciliation is something we can practice not just when there are major conflicts or divisions, but in lots of little ways when we feel that we are out of sync with someone we care about. "" 

Another way we can practice resurrection is by practicing forgiveness.  In this episode, Scott distinguishes between forgiveness and reconciliation.  

To give someone our undivided attention is one of the greatest gifts we can give. In this episode, Scott Stoner talks about practicing presence--with ourselves, with others, and with God.  

In this episode, Scott talks about one way we can raise the spirits of others is by expressing honest and heartfelt gratitude. It is also one way we can raise our own spiritual well-being.

We are all familiar with the saying, "seeing is believing." In this episode, Scott talks about how "believing is seeing" and ties this in to the idea of practicing resurrection.  

In this post-Easter show focussing on concrete ways we can practice resurrection, Scott Stoner talks about how rising above our smaller selves is a choice we can make to put our spiritual beliefs into action. For example, when someone says or does something hurtful to us, we have a choice of how we wish to respond. We can react and hurt them back or rise above our initial hurt and seek to create a...

As we conclude our focus on practicing compassion, today, on Easter, we focus on practicing resurrection. 

The events and actions of Jesus that are remembered on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday have so much to teach us about our focus on practicing compassion.  

In this Palm Sunday episode, Scott talks about how the actions of Jesus speak as powerfully as his words. He then goes on to connect this to how we can take this wisdom and apply it to how we show up in our important relationships.  

Encouraging others is one way we can express compassion. In this episode, Scott talks about the power that the simple act of encouragement can have on others.  

Some people think that self-compassion is self-centered. In this episode, Scott explains how this is not true at all and that, in fact, self-compassion is an integral part of well-being. 

The ego, another name for our smaller selves, is often a barrier that gets in the way of us offering forgiveness and compassion to others--and even to ourselves. In this episode, Scott talks about how we can recognize when our ego is getting in the way and what we can do to rise above it and act more out of our higher selves.  

This episode talks about how it is often easier to be compassionate "in general" for people that are far removed from our daily lives. And it is often hard to practice compassion with those we are closest to and who we interact with on a regular basis.   Scott also talks about how if we only rely on the limits of our own ego to practice compassion, we will often come up short.

Scott Stoner expands on the beautiful reflection from Chris Yaw for March 19 in the Living Compass Lent booklet on Practicing Compassion and talks about how "it is in giving that we receive." To read Chris Yaw's reflection, you can download a free PDF of the booklet at www.livingcompass.org/lent   

Quakers have a saying when they pray for someone: "I will hold you in the Light." In this episode Scott explores the connection between prayer and compassion and shares one of his favorite prayers, the Prayer for Presence, from John Philip Newell.     Download our Living Well Through Lent, 2023: Practicing Compassion daily readings devotional at www. LivingCompass.org/Lent

In this episode Scott reflects on self-compassion through the lens of the scripture, where Jesus invites all who are weary and heavy burdened to come to him for rest.   

In this episode, Scott Stoner talks about what we can learn about compassion from the well-known Parable of the Good Samaritan. He shows how the ancient wisdom of this parable continues to have relevance for us today. He also tells listeners why this particular parable is a favorite of Living Compass.  

Scott asks, "are you a good listener?" His response to this question is that he can be, but only when he is intentional about being a good listener.  And what is the connection between compassion--the theme of our Lent daily reading booklet--and listening? Listen to learn.

On this episode, Scott welcomes Robbin Brent, one of the primary authors in our Practicing Compassion daily reading booklet for Lent, 2023. Robbin is the director of publication and resource development for Living Compass. She is also a spiritual guide/director as well as a small group and retreat leader. See her complete bio below. Robbin is the creator of the Facilitator/Companion Guide which is...