Two years ago, I hit “publish” on the first Well Soul podcast episode! It’s been a labor of love to help you connect with God through drinking in scripture, reflection, and prayer.
For this celebration, I’ve written a short ebook for you.
Several years ago, I became tired of doing all the “Christian” things and yet lacking inner peace. If Jesus offers us living water (John 4), then why was I so parched?
Thus began my quest for a well soul, a journey that I invited you on for the last couple of years. And I have been learning a lot so far—so I put a few of my top reflections into a free PDF as a gift for you in joining me on this journey.
- What is a well soul?
- How do we begin to live with a well soul?
- What are some of the practices of well soul living?
Well Soul Practice: Mindfulness
My friend, who is a Christian mental health professional, lovingly encouraged me to start practicing mindfulness. I always thought mindfulness was a Buddhist spiritual practice, so I kind of strayed from those waters. But she assured me that mindfulness simply meant learning to focus our thoughts.
I have started including an aspect of mindfulness in my morning silence and prayer time and it is helping me experience God’s presence in the moment.
Here is how to include mindfulness into devotional time:
Start Here
I pause wherever I am and look at my surroundings to ground my reality in the moment. I let be whatever is.
The pile of clutter on the counter? Is. The darkness of the morning before the kids awake? Is. The busy day ahead? Is. I breathe and accept the moment as it is. I focus on my breathing and my heartbeat
Notice your thoughts, but do not hold onto them.
I notice my thoughts and emotions and see them for what they are. I feel anxious about something that might happen. I take a quick moment and lift that thought to God in prayer. That is not reality. I cannot control it nor deal with it because it is not real. The irritation at the mess on the counter from the kids? I thank God for healthy kids and then remind myself they can clean it up in their daily chores. The intrusive thought about that person’s opinion? I recognize it as something I cannot control. I can only control my thoughts and actions. And I pray about it for a moment. The sting of the conviction of sin? I ask God’s forgiveness and breathe in his grace.
I stay in the place of being aware of my thoughts and tethering them to present reality and God-centered truth until some of the mental cobwebs clear and I can just be in the moment with God—soaking in His gracious, loving presence without any mental distraction.
Let’s be real for a second.
I am not perfect at this. Do I always practice God’s presence? No. Learning to live toward a well soul takes practice. As the saying goes, “practice makes perfect”—but let’s remember only God is perfect, (Psalm 18:30).
