Stumbling Into Life's Lessons: Reflections on the Spiritual Journey - Softcover

Kavar, Louis F.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1450248845 ISBN 13: 9781450248846

Verlag: iUniverse, 2010

Inhaltsangabe

Interested in integrating spirituality into your busy, professional life? This collection of brief reflections will be worth stumbling upon. Stumbling into Life's Lessons is a collection of essay written by Louis F. Kavar as he moved from a fast-paced life in administration to a life characterized by more focused spiritual practices. Themes explored in Stumbling into Life's Lessons include: ¿ Role of spirituality in personal growth ¿ Spiritual understanding of ecology and environment ¿ Integration of spiritual practices in rhythm with a professional life ¿ Challenges from slowing the pace of life. After traveling two-thirds of each month working in international development and holding a series of demanding administrative positions, Dr. Lou Kavar realized that his life needed to change. Following twelve years of fast-paced professional life, Dr. Kavar moved to the Southwest to live a more intentional and mindful life marked by spiritual practice and reflection. Stumbling into Life's Lessons invites you to integrate spirituality into your daily life and create positive changes enhancing your quality of living.

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STUMBLING INTO LIFE'S LESSONS

REFLECTIONS ON THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEYBy Louis F. Kavar

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2010 Louis F. Kavar
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4502-4884-6

Contents

Introduction...........................................................1Where Do I Begin?......................................................7What Difference Does Spiritual Growth Make?............................9Spirituality: The Way We Live..........................................12Where Can I Find Something More?.......................................14Being Spiritual ... Not Doing Spiritual Things.........................16Walking a Sacred Path..................................................18Singing for Wholeness..................................................20Making Sense of Religion and Spirituality..............................22What's Important About the Bible?......................................25Dealing with Spiritually Reborn People.................................27It's Morning: Stumbling into The Day...................................33The Rhythm of Morning..................................................36A Time for Quiet.......................................................39Living Life the Way It Should Be.......................................41Slowing Down and Taking Time for Ourselves.............................43Dreams and Waking Reality: A Reflection................................45In the Stillness of the Night..........................................48Feelings, Nothing More Than Feelings...................................53It Makes Me Nervous....................................................59Integrity and Authenticity: Facing Life Challenges.....................62Sounds and Silence.....................................................65Thoughts on Aging Parents..............................................67Desert Spirituality: Learning from the Dry Heat........................71It's a Dry Heat........................................................73The Desert Heat........................................................75Lessons from the Palo Verde............................................77In the Shadow of the Saguaro...........................................79New Year's: A Second Chance............................................83Easter: A Bold Celebration.............................................85On Thanksgiving: The Great Mystery of Beauty...........................87Thanks Given for Life..................................................89Waiting: Part of Christmas Preparation.................................91Light in the Darkness..................................................93Led by a Little Child..................................................95Epilogue...............................................................97About the Author.......................................................99About the Illustrator..................................................101Recommended Resources..................................................103

Chapter One

Where Do I Begin?

Spirituality is a subject discussed by many people today. That definitely wasn't the case fifteen or twenty years ago. Because there is so much interest in spirituality from so many different perspectives, I am not surprised when people attempting to understand spirituality ask me where they should begin on their own spiritual path.

I suspect most people haven't spent much time reading or thinking about spirituality. Some people go to church because they've always gone to church or because they like something about the church they attend. Others don't find that church, discussion groups, or other things usually associated with spirituality are important to them. How does a person who's never considered him or herself as "spiritual" or has never had much interest in anything "spiritual" or "religious" begin to explore the spiritual dimension of life?

I generally suggest that people begin by making an assumption. Even if you think that there is no such thing as spirituality or don't believe you've ever had any kind of spiritual experience, for the sake of argument try to suspend these judgments. Consider, at least for a little while, that there really is something called "spirituality" or a "spiritual dimension" to life. If you're not open to the possibility of spirituality, you'll probably not find it. The first place to begin is to be open to the possibility of something new.

Second, take some time to look back over your life and consider times when you had a sense of well-being. A "sense of well-being" can mean many different things. It may have been a time you felt good about your life or a time when you felt in touch with something that was larger than just you. Perhaps it was standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon and feeling in awe of what was before you. Or maybe it's the experience of calm you feel when you run or jog. It may have even been the experience of being loved by someone. What was that experience?

Third, once you've remembered and thought about a few different experiences where you felt a sense of well-being, ask yourself what you can learn from them. What about those things gave you a sense of meaning, purpose, or value?

When we begin to understand what in our lives provides a sense of meaning, purpose, and value, then we are able to take steps toward understanding how our lives really do have meaning, purpose, and value. We come to understand the larger meaning and purpose of our lives by first finding meaning and purpose in ordinary, day-to-day activities. This is the heart of spirituality.

Spirituality is not the same as "spiritualism." Spiritualism is a belief in a dimension of life with spirits and forces and otherworldly beings. A person's spirituality may include spiritualism. But a person's spirituality is primarily about life in the here and now. Spirituality is that dimension in life where we grapple with issues of meaning and purpose. Spirituality provides us with a sense of value to our life.

Where do you begin to figure out what spirituality means in your life? Begin with your life, how you live it, and how you find a sense of wholeness and well-being. That's where the spiritual path begins.

Chapter Two

What Difference Does Spiritual Growth Make?

Walking down Fourth Avenue in Tucson, a street lined with caf's and specialty shops, looking at fliers posted on walls and signboards, I'm often struck by the myriad advertisements for things "spiritual." When I read the notices offering peace, healing, and inner light, I often have a sinking feeling in my gut. I get the same feeling when paging through some publications dedicated to inner awareness.

In our consumer-driven culture, spirituality is marketed and sold in much the same way as cologne: as something that will enhance one's life. While that isn't exactly false advertising, it's also not completely true. The pitch seems to be that spirituality magically makes you always feel wonderful. That's just not reality.

By following spiritual practices, over time one will grow to a deeper sense of inner peace and wholeness. But the process is not one of love, joy, peace, and goose bumps. One doesn't move from one otherworldly high to the next. Authentic spiritual growth is a much more complex and-dare I say-human experience.

In the past, I've compared spiritual development to working out in a gym. When a person begins a training program, it often feels...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: iUniverse
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2010
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1450248845
• ISBN 13: 9781450248846
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 112
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: preigu GmbH & Co. KG; mail@preigu.de; ; Lengericher Landstr. 19; Osnabrück; Niedersachsen; 49078; Deutschland