Coloring Mandalas

I have found that the idea of mandalas had been circling my soul.  What I mean by that is that I had never heard of them and then suddenly they seemed to be incorporated everywhere around me: on the news, in fiction books I was reading,  in my seminary work, in conversation.  I decided that I should learn more.  Thus, I found Meditating with Mandalas: 52 New Mandalas to Help You Grow in Peace and Awareness.

and I began my practice.  I am not by any means an expert at meditating or mandalas.  I am a seeker looking to find ways to become closer with God. 

I carved out 15 minutes extra a day.  Yes,  that meant that I had to get up earlier, and if you know me, you know that giving up my sleep was a big sacrifice.  And went into a different quiet room (My husband has a tendency to turn the tv on when he gets up.  I do not find this conducive to meditating at all.  Frankly, I even find it disruptive in the other room.).  I have a blanket set up on the floor to raise my butt and make it easier for me to sit cross-legged.  I place the book on a stool so that it is at my eye line.  And for 15 minutes I focus on the mandala.  I close by reading the segment explaining the mandala.  I don't do this first so that I see what the mandala may erupt in me as opposed to recognizing what it is "supposed to say".

For those of you, who like me,  may question the "Christian-ness" of such a practice.  I have to say that I have found it to be what you make of it.  I enter my meditation time which I would liken to prayer for me with God in my heart.  I focus on the mandala asking God to speak to me through it to raise issues that I need to address.  Sometimes I find the mandalas help me think about who I think God is more.  Sometimes, they reflect more about me, who I am, and where I need to go.   Also,  Mandalas do have a history in Christianity which I will explore on another day.

The only problem that I have not yet resolved with this practice is time.  I find myself too worried about it.  As the 15 minutes early implies in 15 minutes I have to start getting ready for work, my mind is too focused on not going over time.  I look forward to continuing this practice and somehow fully accepting my God time without parameters.

I will continue to give you a few more thought on meditating with mandalas over the next few weeks - like its Christian roots, a breathing mantra I find helpful, some ideas about designing one yourself.  As always,  I would love to hear any insights that you have found.  If you don't use mandalas as a prayer practice now, I encourage you to experiment and see if you may find it useful. 

Meditating with Mandalas

I have found that the idea of mandalas had been circling my soul.  What I mean by that is that I had never heard of them and then suddenly they seemed to be incorporated everywhere around me: on the news, in fiction books I was reading,  in my seminary work, in conversation.  I decided that I should learn more.  Thus, I found Meditating with Mandalas: 52 New Mandalas to Help You Grow in Peace and Awareness.

and I began my practice.  I am not by any means an expert at meditating or mandalas.  I am a seeker looking to find ways to become closer with God. 

I carved out 15 minutes extra a day.  Yes,  that meant that I had to get up earlier, and if you know me, you know that giving up my sleep was a big sacrifice.  And went into a different quiet room (My husband has a tendency to turn the tv on when he gets up.  I do not find this conducive to meditating at all.  Frankly, I even find it disruptive in the other room.).  I have a blanket set up on the floor to raise my butt and make it easier for me to sit cross-legged.  I place the book on a stool so that it is at my eye line.  And for 15 minutes I focus on the mandala.  I close by reading the segment explaining the mandala.  I don't do this first so that I see what the mandala may erupt in me as opposed to recognizing what it is "supposed to say".

For those of you, who like me,  may question the "Christian-ness" of such a practice.  I have to say that I have found it to be what you make of it.  I enter my meditation time which I would liken to prayer for me with God in my heart.  I focus on the mandala asking God to speak to me through it to raise issues that I need to address.  Sometimes I find the mandalas help me think about who I think God is more.  Sometimes, they reflect more about me, who I am, and where I need to go.   Also,  Mandalas do have a history in Christianity which I will explore on another day.

The only problem that I have not yet resolved with this practice is time.  I find myself too worried about it.  As the 15 minutes early implies in 15 minutes I have to start getting ready for work, my mind is too focused on not going over time.  I look forward to continuing this practice and somehow fully accepting my God time without parameters.

I will continue to give you a few more thought on meditating with mandalas over the next few weeks - like its Christian roots, a breathing mantra I find helpful, some ideas about designing one yourself.  As always,  I would love to hear any insights that you have found.  If you don't use mandalas as a prayer practice now, I encourage you to experiment and see if you may find it useful. 

Mandalas - A way to pray

I have taken to meditating with mandalas as a way for me to connect with God.  Over the next week or so I would like to share with you a little about mandalas, what they were originally intended, how they can be used today, and why I have found them helpful.  As a way to start our conversation, I hope that you might watch this short time-lapse video of an actual sand art mandala being created.

Devotionals - a great way to touch base with God daily

Most of us that are seeking a connection with God already incorporate prayer in our daily lives, but there are other ways to improve your conversation with God.  I consider my time with God to be like fostering a friendship.  God is around for everyone, just like people you pass in your everyday life.  It is up to you to start a conversation and get to know Him better.  Most people start this greeting in prayer.  Some add a weekly time set aside for growing this relationship; we call this time worship.  But there are so many other ways to foster this relationship (I will be exploring several over the next months with you).  Today, I'd like to introduce to devotionals.  Devotionals can be religious or not, but they are generally daily readings that focus on a particular topic for you to ruminate on during the day.  The daily readings are usually short and can be read in less than 10 minutes, but are usually rich enough to offer a much longer contemplation time.

I have used Upper Room devotionals for several years as they are available at my church, but you can also access them online or even have daily thoughts emailed directly to your in box.  Recently I have actually been using Tough Minded Faith for Tender Hearted People by Dr. Robert H Schuller.  Yes, this is the Robert Schuller of Crystal Cathedral Ministries.  And I must admit that his name alone made me question this as a choice, but as this book came to me and I did not search it out, I thought that I would give it a try.  I must admit that I'm glad I did.  This is a wonderful devotional.  It is uplifting, scripturally based, and honest.  I would recommend it for those of you that are Christian and looking for a devotional to try this practice.

Do you use a devotional?  What devotional might you recommend?  How have you found using a devotional helpful in your spiritual practices?  If you don't currently use a devotional, how about committing to trying it for a week or a month and see if you find this a helpful way to grow your relationship with God.

Teaching Your Children Faith - Book Suggestion

If you are looking for a book to think about raising your children with faith, this is it.  It is easy to read, and more importantly easy to implement.  What you must know though is that teaching your children faith is best done by growing your own faith.  

If you want a deeper perspective on growing your own faith so that you can better instruct your children, check out Horace Bushnell's Christian Nurture.