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Hearing Is Believing, LLC, Dublin, OH (2024)

09/29/2023

Why Can't Somebody Just Die Around Here?: A story of war, deprivation, courage, perserverance, and triumph

01/30/2022

ABIDING IN CHRIST: GOD’S LIGHT, LIFE & LOVE

God’s love, light and life seem to be bound together in Scriptures that describe Him and His attributes, especially in the Gospel of John. The journey of finding our identity in Christ is a journey that frees us from fear and darkness so that we can experience His love and see His light. The start of that journey involves surrendering ourselves to Jesus.

When we behold Jesus’ light, surrender to Him, and accept Him as Lord, He gives us eternal life (John 1:12-13, 8:12).

As we abide in Him, live in Him, we bear fruit (John 15:1-6).

Because Jesus gives us life, we become vessels of His light in us to the world (I John 1:7; Matt 5:14-16).

It is because of His light is in us that we can love each other and love our enemies. In other words, we are able to love unconditionally as Jesus love. And we are able to give this love to everyone, not just ourselves, not just those we agree with, not just those who are like us or that love us in return. (John 15:12, 17; Matt 5:44).

Because His Holy Spirit works in us to bring His light and life that we can ask in His name and know that He will answer (John 15:16, 16:23-24).

Because of His eternal life in us we are glorified (John 17: 3-5). And because we are glorified in Christ, we have unity with Him and one another (John 17:22).

It is because of Jesus’ light in us, His glory in us, and the unity that promotes in us that those who do not know Jesus and do not have His life in them can recognize it in us and know that Jesus is Lord. (John 17:20-21, Matt 5:14-16)

Will you go on this journey? And if you start this journey, will you remain on it? Ask yourself, as I often ask myself:

What energizes you? Light or darkness?
What drives you? Love or fear?
What do you choose? Life or death?

01/29/2022

ABIDING IN CHRIST: LOVE IS NOT SELFISH; IT KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONG
John 15:9 (NASB), Jesus says “As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Abide in My love.”
I Cor 13:5 (NASB) “(Love) is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered…”

Whether we realize it or not, we are all spiritual beings, clothed for now in a physical body. All of us are made in His image. (Gen 1:28) And all of us are on spiritual journey. And God loves all of us, believers, and non-believers.

Each time we exercise our free will, we take another step in that journey. I started my journey when I surrendered myself to Jesus and began eternal life with Him. The journey of finding our identity in Christ is a journey that frees us from fear and darkness, leads us into His love, to see His light.

But we don’t journey alone. Our journey intersects with some, like me and you, who are journeying toward God and seeking to abide in Christ. And with others who are actively trying to avoid God. Yet God still loves us, no matter where we are on our journey.

If all I had to do was accept God’s love and love the people who love me, it would be easy. But that is selfish. Jesus makes it clear that we are to love as He loves, generously, extravagantly…and sacrificially. He says in verse 12, “This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” He goes on to acknowledge that this will not be easy, that we will be hated and have enemies. “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…,” (Matt 5:44 NASB) Jesus humbled Himself to die on the cross for us because He loves us.

In short, I am NOT to love selfishly, seeking my own way,, hold a grievance against someone, or keep a record of wrong. Quite the opposite. In order to remain on my journey with Jesus, I must give love as He does

Jesus does not ask you or me to do this in the flesh. He knows that we are incapable of loving as He loves, without the Holy Spirit as a Helper. He reminds us that He has already overcome the world. Yet, when I read a post on social media written by someone with whom I disagree, or who characterizes a group of people to which I belong as racist, sexist, bigoted, homophobes, my first reaction is rarely to respond lovingly or to pray for them. Instead, my pride raises its head, my ego puffs up, and I say “How dare so and so…..”

Then, the Holy Spirit taps me on the shoulder and reminds me where my journey with Him began. I am humbled as I realize what Jesus has done for me, how far He has taken me out of sin, fear, and darkness. How much He has forgiven me and changed me. And how far I have yet to travel, to experience His grace, to give of His love and light. It is when I am honest about my own fears that I recognize the fears with which others struggle. Like me, they fear loss, hurt, the unknown. Unlike me, they may not realize that they can rely on God’s love to protect, heal, and forgive them. When I am humbled, then I become like a beggar sharing what I have to give with another beggar and telling them where to find more.

God’s love is finite. I can’t lose it or run out of it. But it is not meant to bottled up. It is meant to be shared. The more I love freely, as He loves, the more love I receive and the more assurance that I have, not in my ability to give love, but in His ability to express it through me.

It is my choice to do this. I choose to abide in Jesus, to love as He loves, to let go of my grievances, and keep pointing the way out to those trapped by fear and darkness, praying that they will surrender and find God’s love and light.

01/28/2022

ABIDING IN CHRIST: RESOURCES
I love it when God reveals something to me during my devotions that really makes me pause, causes me to think, to examine or re-examine myself and my motivations. I love it when I can chew all day on a particularly juicy piece of spiritual meat. And when His revelation causes me to change my behavior in some way, then I know that I am really being renewed.

How do these revelations come? Often from reading the Bible. Not infrequently when God speaks directly to me or brings a memory to my mind and asks me to re-examine it. Sometimes, He speaks through others.

I want to share some amazing authors whose books have “renewed my mind” and helped me grow spiritually, not just once, or in one area, but many times and in many ways. I have read and re-read their books, and each time, I am challenged and changed. I list them in no particular order.

SARAH YOUNG, “Jesus Calling”. This devotional was a life saver. At a time in my life when I was really struggling, one of my pastors gave me this book, not realizing my struggles. From the first day that I read it, God spoke to me through this devotional and drew me into His presence. It began to change the way that I thought about devotions and how I did them.

Sarah earned a master’s in biblical studies & counseling from Covenant Theological Seminary. She and and her husband are Presbyterians (PCA). Her husband is an ordained minister and both of them are missionaries with Mission to the World, the sending agency for the PCA.

BROTHER LAWRENCE OF THE RESURRECTION, “Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God” The Critical Edition by Conrad De Meester, OCD. It was Brother Lawrence who opened my eyes to the realization that God’s chief desire was for me to live in His agape love and to be loving. It was Brother Lawrence that helped me see that it is who I am that is most important, and that what I do flows from that, not the other way around.

Brother Lawrence was a Discalced Carmelite monk who lived in that monastery in Paris as their cook and sandal maker in the 1600's. His intense experience of God’s pure love is astonishing, moving, and was, for me, life changing. I have read two or three translations of “Practice” from French into English. But the best translation by far was written on the 300th anniversary of Brother Lawrence’ death, 1991, by a modern-day Discalced Carmelite, Conrad De Meester. This version is the most complete collection, in English, of Brother Lawrence’s letters, spiritual maxims, conversations, his “doctrine” and other writings about him. It also gives more details on Brother Lawrence’ background, prior to conversion and prior to entering into orders.

TED DEKKER, “The Forgotten Way: Meditations” and “The Way of Love”
I thought that I had a pretty good understanding of who God is and the Scriptural basis for my identity in Christ. These two books have deepened my understanding of both God’s identity—His love, His light, His life-- and my own identity. And it has given me insight into how to see other people as God sees them. What I thought would take me, at most, a month to read took me four months as I reviewed and pondered the things I learned. Ted Dekker's delightful way of writing really engaged my mind and heart.

Ted Dekker was born in New Guinea to missionaries working among the Dani people. He studied philosophy and religion in the U.S., where he lives now. He is the author of numerous Christian novels, two of which were made into movies.

01/26/2022

ABIDING IN CHRIST: AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS
Matt 11:28-30 (MSG) “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Jesus wants you and me to rest in Him, abide in Him. But I find it difficult to rest when I am carrying a heavy burden, don’t you? Too often I struggle alone with my burden, even though Jesus has offered to help me with it.

When I talk about laying down a burden, I am not talking about holding a crying child or lifting a box or package. I am talking about burdens for which we feel responsible, even though we may not have chosen to take them up. We are afraid that if we lay these burdens down, everything will fall apart. Or burdens that resulted from past failures. These are the burdens that Jesus invites us to lay at the foot of His cross, to give to Him, in order that we may rest in Him. These are burdens that we cannot carry on our own:
• Our past hurts, disappointments, failures, and regrets.
• Our fear and anxiety about the future.
• Our broken relationships and disappointed plans for our lives.
• Our wrong motivations and easily offended feelings.
And more!

Learning to give our burdens to Jesus requires learning to trust Him. The more often we leave these burdens at the foot of the cross, the easier it becomes to do so. He has already made us free. But sometimes we don’t live as though we believe this to be true. Galatians 5:1 (NASB) says, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

What burden are you carrying? Jesus invites you to lay it down, to “Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

01/26/2022

ABIDE IN CHRIST: WAIT ON THE LORD
Psalm 62:1 (NASB) My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation.
Isa 40: 31 (NASB) Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.
Psalms 147:11 (NASB) The Lord favors those who fear Him, those who wait for His lovingkindness.

Abiding in Christ requires listening for Him in submission, and then….waiting. It would be easy if all I had to do was stop whatever I am doing, bow my head, and listen for the Holy Spirit. But there is this waiting that always seems to be necessary before I feel His presence and hear His voice.

So often I have missed His presence and His voice because I was simply not willing to wait. Intellectually, I understand that the Holy Spirit is using that waiting time to draw me into alignment with Him in spirit, soul, and body. I know that He speaks to me subconsciously before I hear him consciously. But waiting is hard.

Waiting is not just killing time until something important happens. Neither is it wasting time. It is not a condition imposed on me by God capriciously or despotically. Waiting is an exercise in faith. There are three words in the Old Testament that are translated as “wait”. These three words give me perspective.

“Qavah” means to bind, collect, or gather together, to wait for, wait on, or look for. It means, not simply to wait passively, but to wait with expectancy while gathering strength or faith. It is used, for example, in Isaiah 40:31 “Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain strength…”

“Dumiyah” means to wait in stillness or in silence. In other words, it means to wait and listen. Examples are Psalm 62:1 “My soul waits in silence for God only…” and Psalm 22:1 (KJV) “Praise waiteth for Thee, O God in Zion….”

“Yachal” is the word most closely associated with the word “wait” as I understand it. It means to be patient, to hope. For example, Psalms 147:11 in NASB uses the word “wait”: “The Lord favors those who fear Him, those who wait for His lovingkindness.” But KJV for the same verse uses hope: “The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy.”

The KJV sometimes uses the word “tarry” instead of “wait”. We don’t use this word much today. The Cambridge Dictionary’s definition of tarry is “To stay somewhere for longer than expected and delay leaving”.

The reminder to me is that it is always my choice to spend my time waiting on God, to delay leaving before He reveals Himself. I have often ended my devotions too soon, thinking that God just did not have anything for me today, that He simply did not love me enough to spend time with me. Or I ended devotions thinking that I had other things to do that were more urgent, important, valuable than spending time with God.

Now, I tarry. I have learned over and over that He loves me much more than I comprehend. I have learned that He desires that I seek Him with my whole heart, not just my head and not just in my spare time. I wait because it is my experience that what God has for me, what He reveals to me at the end of that wait, will be more valuable than anything I could have gained from using my time in another way. Psalm 27:13-14 I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait (qavah) for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.

So, in my devotions, I tarry, silently listening for God’s voice, in hope of His presence and revelation, gathering and strengthening my faith. May you also find the faith, hope and strength to wait on the Lord.

01/25/2022

ABIDING IN CHRIST: THE JOURNEY TO ETERNAL LIFE
John 17:3;22-23 (NASB) “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent… The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.”

The journey of finding our identity in Christ is a journey that frees us from fear and darkness. Fear has to do with the threat of loss, while love has to do with sufficiency. It is a journey in which we learn to experience our glorified self, learn to give and receive God’s love, and learn to manifest God’s kingdom here and now. The proof that we have this new identity and that we are on this journey is that we love God and one another.

This journey starts when we accept Christ. But it does not end there. Eternal life is not something we experience by and by, but here and now, as we come to know God more fully and learn to manifest our identity in Him. (John 17:3)

We grow in our identity in Christ as we surrender our attachments to this world and its “gods of lesser power” to quote Ted Dekker. We surrender the false identity and expectations which enslave us in fear and in darkness. Fear has to do with loss and darkness hides our identity. Love fosters transparency, shows us who we truly are in Christ, enables us to accept ourselves and others without fear of loss. Love frees us. (Luke 9:23-24,14:26, John 12:25)

However, we are often unaware of all this, unaware of the journey itself and unaware of all that is available to us as children of God. We forget our identity, lose our way, return to bo***ge. But Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He finds us when we are lost and draws us back. (Matt 18:12-14)

The process of surrendering our old identity and expectations, aligning with Jesus, being renewed in our body, soul & spirit, and walking in our new identity is the journey. It is a journey that starts with Awakening, and leads to Repentance, Sanctification and, ultimately, Transformation. In other words, as we go on this journey, we are changed. And as we change, we learn to abide in eternal life here and now.

01/22/2022

ABIDING IN CHRIST: BE, BECOME, BEAR FRUIT
John 15: 1-2 and 4 (NASB) I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit….Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.

As we discussed in previous blogs, having regular devotions enables us to engage with Jesus in such a way that He becomes the Shaper of our belief systems, enabling us to achieve the purpose & plan He has for your life. Using the “Plug In, Power Down, Recharge” devotional method helps us in the following ways.

To BE: Isaiah 40:31 (NASB) Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”

As we “Plug In” to Jesus, waiting on Him in quietness, and listening for His voice, we enter His presence and rest in Him. As we set our thoughts, desires, anxieties, and responsibilities at His feet, we begin to gain His perspective.

To BECOME: 2 Corinthians 5:17 (AMP) Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].
As we “Power Down”, we begin the process of aligning with God, becoming what He designed us to be, more in tune with His plan & purpose for our life, with His love and with His will. Like cellphones clearing unwanted processes, “we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (II Cor 10:5). We allow God to show us our unhealthy or toxic thoughts, emotions, habits, or memories. Then we consciously choose to put them at the foot of the cross and leave them there.

To BEAR FRUIT: Romans 12:2 (NASB) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

When we “Recharge”, we actively choose Jesus as the Shaper of your mindsets and choose to act on His will for us in His power, as revealed to us during devotions. This occurs as a cycle of growing to become more like Jesus and more of what He wants us to be, and of “being pruned”, dying to self. We grow as the balance is restored between our spirit, soul, and body. We gain spiritual strength. Our intellect, will, and emotions no longer battle for our attention or for control over us. We are “pruned” as we consciously allow God to replace the unhealthy or toxic thoughts, emotions, habits, memories that we put at the foot of the cross with healthy, positive thoughts, emotions, habits, and memories.

Developing the regular practice devotions allows us to repeat the cycle of growing and pruning, resting and renewing, being, becoming and bearing fruit. It will positively affect our routines, our relationships, and our environments. It will be easier to get into the flow of the Holy Spirit and we will see more spiritual fruit in our lives.

01/20/2022

ABIDING IN CHRIST: RECHARGING
II Cor 3:18 (AMP) And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.

During “Recharge”, we are being transformed and empowered by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 12:2) “Recharging” may be a time of growing or of pruning. (John 15:1-2) The veil, in II Corinthians, is the mindset that a Shaper has instilled in your mind. As we “recharge", Jesus begins to take those veils away, so that we see His glory and we become glorified. You begin to renew, re-align and re-commit.

During “Recharge”, you can tell that your spirit is engaged with the Holy Spirit. You are drawing in God’s power, which you will use later to deal with people, situations, & problems that require “spiritual” energy so that you are not working solely from your own physical or mental energy. (Eph 3:20, II Cor 12:9)

How to Recharge: As the Holy Spirit leads you out of “Powering Down”, you will be able to sense that your spirit is active and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Begin to re-engage your intellect, will and emotions so that they remain in alignment with the Holy Spirit as follows:

First, respond to any words or thoughts that God gave you during “Power Down”. They came to you for a reason. God is revealing something to you, and He is asking you to take this thought “captive” in some way. This may be any area to grow in or an area in which you need to die to self. (If you don’t hear anything from God consciously, don’t worry. The Holy Spirit is always working on your subconscious. You may receive insights later.)

For example, if a person or specific prayer request came to mind, intercede in prayer. If a specific praise came to mind or a prayer has been answered, voice your gratitude. If a concern or care, a task or responsibility comes to mind give this to God and ask God for insight on how and when to handle this. If an idea comes to mind, ask God to flesh it out and give it form. If the Holy Spirit convicts you of sin or unforgiveness over a person or issue, take time to confess, repent and seek reconciliation. God may reveal areas where you need inner healing, counseling, advice, or prayer support from others. Or He may reveal thoughts, habits, activities, or relationships that you need to end. Determine how to act on this His direction.

Next, engage in any spiritual activities that build you up. Start with expressions of worship, thanks, or praise. Reading or listening to the Bible is important, giving preference to areas for reflection, prophetic words, or revelations that came to you during “Power Down”. Focus prayer time on people, issues or situations that came to mind during “Power Down”. If God has given you a creative inspiration, a direction for change, or an area of service, begin to determine how to act on those.

As you practice “Recharging” on a regular basis, you will find that: 1) You become better able to hear God’s voice. 2) You become more responsive to the Holy Spirit than reactive to emotions, thoughts, and events. 3) You grow spiritually in love, hope, faith, obedience. 4) You become more balanced as you become more aligned with Christ. 5) As you align with God as Shaper of your belief system and world view, rather than the “gods of lesser power” who previously controlled you, you begin to achieve more spiritually than you could in the natural. 6) And, as you become spiritually stronger, you encounter more spiritual warfare!

Next we will discuss the spiritual fruit that comes from “Plugging In, Powering Down & Recharging” on a regular basis.

01/20/2022

ABIDING IN CHRIST: POWERING DOWN

Psalm 139: 23-34 (NASB) Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
II Corinthians 10:5 (AMP) We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ

In the same way that a cellphone needs to be powered down so that it can “refresh”, clear its memory and recharge its batteries, we also need to “Power Down”, to switch from self-directed conscious thought to spiritually directed conscious and subconscious thought.

“Powering down” is an intentional exercise that will help you to 1) “Rest” your brain, slow your thinking and produce physical health benefits. 2) Bring your brain/body, soul, and spirit into alignment with each other and with God. 3) Experience the presence of the Holy Spirit, obtain His revelations and insight. 3) 4) Renew your mind by letting God be your Shaper.

“Powering Down” is also the most difficult part of doing devotions. It requires you to set aside time from your busy schedule. It requires you to examine yourself and be honest with yourself and God. “Taking every thought captive to Christ” is a form of spiritual warfare.

Following are the steps for “Powering Down”. All of these steps are facilitated by expressing your thoughts, either by speaking them out loud or writing them in a journal. So be prepared to take note of your thoughts.

First, “Plug In” by using the time, place, and process that you developed earlier.

Second, begin to “take your thoughts captive to Christ” as follows 1) Invite Jesus in and ask Him to direct your thoughts 2) Note anything that immediately consumes your thoughts and hinders concentration. Don’t repress or ignore these thoughts. 3) Visualize placing these consuming thoughts at Jesus feet and asking Him to take them, then letting go of them, walking away.

Third, quiet yourself and wait on God to direct you. Try to spend at least 7 minutes just listening quietly. If a person or prayer request comes to mind, note them, then return to quietness. If any concerns, cares, praises, tasks or responsibilities come to mind, note them and give them to God. Return to quietness and wait. If an idea comes to mind, note it for future reference. Return to quietness and wait. If the Holy Spirit convicts you of sin or unforgiveness, ask for forgiveness and direction on reconciliation.

Fourth, your spirit will let you know when to end this time. As you end it, read or recall your thoughts and begin to process them. Ask yourself the following: 1) What is the source of the thought? 2) Is there a pattern or do the thoughts appear random? 3) Is there any action that needs to be taken in response to these thoughts?

How do you know that you are connected to the Holy Spirit and not a malign influence? “By their fruit ye shall know them.” Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, you may experience remorse, sorrow, joy, hope, love, faith, peace. Your thoughts will be orderly, calm, welling up from within. If you feel convicted or need to repent, it will be in the form of “I did something is wrong, but I can right it, or I can improve”. However, the Holy Spirit is NOT the source of anxiousness, fear, doubt, hate, lust, revenge, shame or condemnation (i.e., I did something wrong because I am bad).

As you repeat this exercise, you will find that you won’t have as many distracting thoughts. The Holy Spirit’s presence and direction will come more easily & often. You will begin to find more to be thankful about, more peace and joy. In short, you will see yourself change. Next, we will discuss “Recharging”.

01/19/2022

ABIDE IN CHRIST: PLUGGING IN
Matt 14:23 “After (Jesus) had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.”

What happens when you plug a cellphone into an electrical outlet? The electricity/energy changes direction. Instead of flowing FROM the phone, it flows TO the phone. Powering down your phone clears unused or unnecessary processes that are running in the background, frees up memory, and extends the life of the battery. Once the cellphone is recharged and turned back on, it functions more quickly & smoothly.

Just like your phone, we all need downtime, to unplug from work, media, and the world in general so that we can plug into the spiritual world. This begins restoring the alignment between our brain/body, soul, and spirit. When we “Plug In” we
shift from DO to BE. And we shift from I to HE.

“Plugging In” is facilitated by setting up a pleasurable routine and atmosphere that reinforces your brain to develop the habit of doing devotions. Referred to as operant conditioning, this takes advantage of your brain’s subconscious processes, triggering memories, thoughts, and skills which you have already built toward your purpose. Like getting on a bike or picking up an instrument or a tool with which you are familiar, you remember other times that you rode, played, or used it, how you did it, what worked and didn’t work without ever consciously thinking about it. This is referred to as “getting into flow”.

“Plugging In” requires setting aside a time, a place and atmosphere that will help you to refocus, relax, and reflect, and that you will look forward to repeating.

1. Set aside a time for your devotions that is as consistent as possible for as many days during the week as possible. It can be any time of the day. Your routine might vary: you might have a certain time during the work week, but a different time on the weekends. Try to set aside at least 7 minutes to begin with and build from there as the Holy Spirit leads.

2. Identify a place that is quiet, uninterrupted, and comfortable. Use a favorite chair or pillow. Or while running or exercising. Any sound in this environment should be soothing and relaxing, neither intruding on your thoughts nor lulling you to sleep. Nature sounds or soft instrumental music played in the background are examples. Having devotions during your daily commute is another option, but not if you are driving. If finding a quiet place is difficult, noise cancelling headphones may help.

3. Set up an atmosphere which include the following “triggers” to prime you.

Triggers of the senses, such as hot tea or coffee, a scented candle, a nature scene, a favorite shawl or blanket, soft music in the background, a soft bell tone at start

Triggers of the mind, such as sitting in a particular position, breathing deeply, or starting a run or walk, reciting a prayer or passage of scripture

Relaxation, such as a yawn, smile, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, listening to soft music in the background, watching the birds outside your window, petting your cat or dog.

At the point that you begin to smile and your body and mind are calm, you are Plugged In. Congratulations!

In our next blog, we will talk about “Powering Down”.