One of the things I believe I have been hearing from God on this Sabbatical is my need to really get centered on Him and to see Him in ALL things. I don't usually have a problem seeing God in the fireworks, earthquakes and tornadoes of life - it's the still, small voice of everyday life where my hearing and seeing is not so good.
Tammy and I have been reading alot about incorporating spiritual disciplines into our daily life in order to stay grounded. One of these is a practice called examen. The Examen is a popular way of praying and was developed by St. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) ,founder of the Society of Jesus (The Jesuits). He suggested that his brothers undertake a daily way of praying by examining
their lives so they could better serve God. Here are some ways to daily "examen" your day:
Recall you are in the presence of God.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to help you look at your life with love this day.
Look at your day with gratitude.
• Begin to give thanks to God for the gifts of the day.
Ask help from the Holy Spirit.
• Look at the ways you have responded to God’s gracious gifts and love this day.
Review your whole day
• Notice the details. The context of what happened. How you acted. Your motives. Your feelings. When did I fail? Where you did not feel at your best. How conscious have you been of God’s presence and actions in your life? When did I love? See both the positive and negative. Let yourself become more sensitive to God’s grace.
• Reconcile and Resolve.
• Imagine Jesus sitting beside you. Maybe there is something you did wrong—now is the time to tell Jesus you are sorry and ask Him to be with you the next time a similar situation arises.
