What threshold do you stand on?

You cannot return to the past, the way it was.

You want to move on.

You feel ready.

You want to grow, explore.

You are bored.

You have become complacent and a bit too comfortable.

It makes you both nervous and excited.

Some thresholds you do not choose but here you are.

And you must now move on, somehow.

You are on a threshold.

Your threshold might be:

-Graduation (high school, college, masters, PhD, other program)

-Retirement

-Divorce

-Death of a loved one

-Marriage

-Job change

-Move to another part of the country

-Leave your church

-Chronic illness

-Empty Nest

-You fill in the ______

What will you do?

How do you move forward?

The first step is to acknowledge the threshold.

Allow yourself to feel the vast array of emotions you might have.

Here is when a Contemplative practice such as Centering Prayer might be helpful.

Bring all of your thoughts and emotions to your silent sit.

Then let them go and open to the presence and actions of God within.

Let God and you together discern the way forward.

Take it one day at a time.

The silence of Centering Prayer is like a threshold.

It is a place in between the past and your future.

Centering Prayer is a nice place to rest and discern your path ahead.

Let the silence of Centering Prayer spawn your next steps.

P.S. Need some help with your next steps? Contact me about my coaching. I can help you.

Go Further:

The Soul’s Slow Ripening: 12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred by Christine Valters Paintner discusses thresholds.

The Soul of a Pilgrim: Eight Practices for the Journey Within by Christine Valters Paintner

Becoming an Ordinary Mystic: Spirituality for the Rest of Us by Albert Haase, OFM

Open Mind, Open Heart 20th Anniversary Edition by Thomas Keating and Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening were the first two books I read as I began my Centering Prayer practice.

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Poetry and Prayer from the Celtic Tradition by Carl McColman: The traditional Celtic people of Scotland, Ireland, and Wales wove prayers, blessings, poems, and songs into every aspect of their daily lives — using the power of language to blend a rich spirituality of presence and wisdom into the very fabric of their being. Many of these poetic invocations and charming poems were collected by folklorist Alexander Carmichael over 100 years ago and preserved in the book Carmina Gadelica — the “Charms of the Gaels.”

Celtic Spirituality At the Edge of Mystery by Carl McColman: Consider it a pilgrimage into one of the best examples of everyday spirituality. Celtic wisdom and poetry ​encourages us to recognize the holy all around us, honors and protects the sacred earth, gives inspiration to free our creative voice, and presents a holistic path that links the quest for holiness with ​an ​embodied​​ sense of Divine love.

Centering Prayer by Cynthia Bourgeault: Centering Prayer is a simple, no-frills form of meditation in the Christian tradition. Since it was first developed by Christian contemplative monks in the 1970s, it has allowed tens of thousands of practitioners worldwide to “return home,” developing an authentically Christian meditation practice which not only delivers the healing and quieting of the mind typical of all meditation paths, but also reconnects directly to Christianity’s hidden treasury of mystical and transformational wisdom.

The Wisdom Jesus by Cynthia Bourgeault: Jesus first and foremost is a Wisdom teacher, grounded in the universal traditions of spiritual transformation, and the first teacher of non-dual consciousness the West had ever seen. Almost two thousand years ahead of his time, he stands in the lineage of the great Jewish prophets, the master “cardiologist” entrusted with implementing the promise made to the prophet Ezekiel: “I will take away your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks – This is a great way to listen to books with your cell phone while you drive, walk or relax at home. I frequently listen in my car during my commute to and from work. I’m a proud affiliate.

Writing as a Spiritual Practice: This course helps you to access the rich spiritual stories that lie deeply within you. Words are powerful. The words that you write can be used to:

help you understand yourself better – and therefore divine God’s purpose in your life

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share your testimonies of how God has worked in your life

Contemplative Light offers courses on contemplative practices (Christian Meditation, Centering Prayer, The Examen, Lectio Divina, The Jesus Prayer), the Christian mystics (ancient and current) and spiritual writing. Peruse their wonderful offerings.

Drawing from the wisdom of monastic life, modern psychology and best practices in personal productivity, the Monk Manual provides a daily system that will help you find clarity, purpose, wisdom, and peace in the moments that make up your life.

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