What if today is the day you’ve been hoping for?

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 How would you choose to live it out?  You opened your eyes to a new sunrise, a new display of nature’s magnificence. You’re included in God’s master plan for humanity.  How will you choose to spend it?  I first thought seriously about this concept as a 17 year old high school senior.  I was chosen to play the lead character, Emily, in the play “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder.  Little did I know that role would change my life forever.  Even now, I could cry as I recall the moment.  Emily was a young woman who died giving birth to her first child.  There was a scene after her death in which she pleaded with the Narrator, who was the God character, to live once again.  After some deliberation on his part, her desire was granted; to come back to earth for just one more day.  “Make it an insignificant day”, said the Narrator, “for it will be significant enough”.  Emily was thrilled and spontaneously blurted out, “My twelfth birthday!”.  She began to relive this ‘insignificant day’ with her family in the scene, just as it had happened.  Suddenly her eyes were opened as she tried without success to get her mother to stop and truly listen to her.  From her new vantage point, she could now see the beautiful gift of life in the simplest moments.  “Mamma, look at me, really, really look at me.”, she said, as her mother busily scurried about trying to prepare the meal.  As the scene unfolded Emily could not contain her feelings any longer.  Turning to the Narrator, she burst into tears crying out with deep sadness, “Doesn’t anyone realize life while they’re living it, every, every minute?”  He wisely replied, “Some poets do, I suppose”. Thornton Wilder, in his great wisdom, unveiled the meaning of the play and life in that one sentence,  “Doesn’t anyone realize life while they’re living ?”.  

Will you realize life while you’re living it?  I ask myself once again, that same question; will I realize life while I’m living it?  While I still have breath?  As you’re reading this, turn inward and notice that yearning you feel right now as it emanates from the deepest recesses of your being.  It is the desire to live fully, authentically, deeply connected and engaged.  To know God and be known by God.  To love and be loved.  The spiritual journey is the foundation for all of life, for it is life and life is the container for relationship, first with God, then with self, others and the world.  How will you choose to honor this day, to receive the gift of this day?  Don’t let another moment go by, another breath leave your body without your awareness of the magnificence that is your life.  Don’t wait until your moments are numbered before you wake up on the inside and cherish each one, for even the most insignificant of days is significant enough.  

I’ve Fallen Into Negative Thinking and I Can’t Get Up!

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What is that one nagging, critical thought that keeps you stuck and has you believing you aren’t meant for an abundant whole life, inner peace, freedom and purpose?  
 
I’ll share my big one today with you and then you get to share me yours. To think I’m not even halfway through my day yet! Here it is…drumroll please…”You’re so lazy”. Yes, that’s a big one for me. Probably because I heard it as a child. As an adult I can look back and realize it wasn’t true, I wasn’t lazy at all.  (Listen to me defend myself.) I was just a young contemplative!! I always did what I was supposed to do, told to do, expected to do. However, my mom didn’t understand all those hours spent alone in my room, praying, thinking, reflecting or reading.  I’ve always had a contemplative nature. Yet, after all these years you would think that thought wouldn’t even be on my radar screen.  Well, it is.  Especially on a day when I’m not up dressed and out of the house early.  It is a thought that can hook me. It can sidetrack my attention and worse yet my intention.
 
Sometimes I notice the false thoughts and am able to do my Prayer of Turning. However, there are those times that I fall for the lie, usually because I’m tired or feeling a bit overwhelmed by responsibilities or both.
 
When UNABLE to turn away from the critical story line what do we do?  Here are FIVE important things that really work.
1.  Don’t be afraid of the thought.  Notice it and recognize it is not of God.  There’s nothing holy or humbling about self-critical thinking because God never accuses or condemns.  To merely engage the thought with more thinking isn’t effective.  Movement is necessary.
 
2.  Sit in Centering Prayer either more times during the day or longer periods of time. In this case more is more and more is best!  Yes, Centering Prayer is movement.
 
3.  Talk to someone.  I call my bestie soul friend who knows and loves me.  Her compassionate listening and loving input always puts me in a place of acceptance.  I confess to her my negative self introspection.  Just hearing the words come out of my mouth I start to feel the shift within me and the thoughts dissipate.
4.  If there’s a recurring thought, remember to bring it to your next Spiritual Direction appointment.  Unpacking it as your Spiritual Director holds you in the Light of this sacred space, is transforming.
5.  Remember God is in the movement.  I’m not talking about frenetic busyness or pressured action but movement.  Sometimes just putting your attention on making a good meal can be enough.
 
So right now, breathe deeply.  These self critical thoughts can sneak in on anyone, like dust floating in the air.   The next time one of ‘those’ thoughts floats across your mind, remember to be gentle with yourself.  Remember thoughts are not reality they just are and remember transformation, inner peace, freedom and purpose is possible through The Deeper Connection. 

Forgiveness

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It rained on the last day of retreat
As if freedom could be more free.
God poured down grace on me.
Beautiful rays of golden light.
Through the canopy of trees.
From heaven into my soul.
Engulfed in prayer, the moment came unannounced.
Like the gentle summer breeze, that brushed across my face.
From the page of scripture, leapt the words “forgive them.”
And like the water cascading through the fountain
Came the names and faces I had hidden away.
I was ready.
Invited by the Silence.
Held secure by the Stillness.
Ready, to look deep into my heart,
Now with clarity and understanding.
The resentments once hidden by reason and rightness,
Reflected back at me.
“It is time.” He said.
And I knew what was mine to do.
No grand gestures of humility expected.
Just acceptance for a lifetime of wounds.
As I wrote down each name and saw each face,
These words came.
I release you from my resentment__I forgive you, God bless you.
I continued my litany of forgiveness, seeing each person.
Realizing how even the slightest resentment,
Hid secretly, deep in my heart.
“It is time.” He said.
“There is no one left.”, I replied.
The glancing down I saw my reflection in the water.
And I knew.
It was time and I was ready.
Readied by the beautiful work of prayer
Readied by the sacred space carved by Silence.
Readied by the presence of My Beloved.
Ready to receive the grace to forgive myself.
And the mercy offered.
As if freedom could be more free.
God poured down grace on me.

Who is Maria?


Maria Gullo is the founder of The Deeper Connection, a ministry dedicated to bringing individuals to inner peace. She is an ordained minister and has spent the past twenty-plus years delivering the message of contemplative Christian spirituality through centering prayer, retreats, workshops, and lectures. Maria’s guided prayer and meditation tools include audio downloads and CDs, available here online as well as on the Insight Timer mobile meditation app. Learn more about Maria.

Maria offers virtual online and private one-on-one Spiritual Direction sessions to help individuals develop a deeper connection, clearer understanding and authentic relationship with God, self and others.

Follow The Deeper Connection @deeperconnects on Twitter, and @thedeeperconnection on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

Maria wants to hear from you! Tell your story or where you are in your journey.

Connect with Maria

The Silent Retreat

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On the edge of Silent Stillness I embark
To an adventure unforeseen
The Silence pierces a world of noise.
The Stillness moves like the ocean’s depths.
I do not know what lies ahead.
I simply say ‘yes’.
My willingness now opens a path beneath me and above me.
Transported by prayer to heights and depths beyond my imaginings.
“Come”, the voiceless Voice speaks.
I move into the Silence now with trepidation.
Led into a dense forest of fear
On a path strewn with doubt.
Come—
Anxieties rolling in like ominous storm clouds.
Threatening thoughts entangle me.
Come—
Through waist high weeds of faded dreams.
Through stagnating memories of failure and regret.
Come—
The Silence persists.
Prayer draws me deeper.
Come—
Then without warning a gentle cool breeze rushes in.
Flowing over me and through me.
Come—
Lifting my head.
I breathe in deeply
Turning from the thoughts.
Releasing the illusion that gripped my soul.
Come—
I raise my eyes inward to see lush fields
Green pastures bathed in warm Light.
I am not alone.
Now I see.
I never was alone.
Come—
The path opens up.
The birds are singing.
The clouds have given way to crystal blue skies.
Prayer guided by Silence has led me home.
Home to my Self.
Home to God.
Home to my Beloved and I am free.

Who is Maria?


Maria Gullo is the founder of The Deeper Connection, a ministry dedicated to bringing individuals to inner peace. She is an ordained minister and has spent the past twenty-plus years delivering the message of contemplative Christian spirituality through centering prayer, retreats, workshops, and lectures. Maria’s guided prayer and meditation tools include audio downloads and CDs, available here online as well as on the Insight Timer mobile meditation app. Learn more about Maria.

Maria offers virtual online and private one-on-one Spiritual Direction sessions to help individuals develop a deeper connection, clearer understanding and authentic relationship with God, self and others.

Follow The Deeper Connection @deeperconnects on Twitter, and @thedeeperconnection on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

Maria wants to hear from you! Tell your story or where you are in your journey.

Connect with Maria

Be Still and Turn

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As published on Contemplative Light™ and Silence Teaches with Rich Lewis 

Being a Contemplative Christian does not exempt me from worry, fear and anxiety. It does, however, make a way through the challenging stuff of life creating opportunity for authentic transformation.

How does transformation translate into real world experience?  What does it look like?  What does it feel like As a single woman, business owner, mother, grandmother and Spiritual Director, life can feel overwhelming at times. Primarily when I let some situation trigger me into creating a fictitious story in my mind about what could happen, rather than what is happening, in the moment. Perhaps you can I identify with this?  From the story comes fear, worry and all the ‘what ifs’ that cause the stressful feelings of being overwhelmed. The story takes on a life of it’s own and worry quickly becomes fear that quickly turns into anxiety. So then what?

Sometimes I berate myself for not trusting God more.  Sometimes I pray more, or pray less. Other times I distract myself with family or work. Yet all of the time God’s gentle, relentless voiceless Voice breathes deep within, “Be still and turn to me.”  What I’ve come to learn is in times like this if I just become still, my mind is drawn to ‘the story’ and focuses on the overwhelming feeling that’s tossing me around like driftwood on a storm tossed wave.  It’s the ‘turn’ within the stillness that changes everything.  To turn toward God, means I must turn from the story and the feelings associated with it, releasing my white knuckle grip on fear and my small reality.  

So how do you turn? Some of us struggle with this concept of turning. What does that mean and more importantly how do you do it? What helps you release your focus on the story or challenge? I’ve included here 7 Ways to Turn Toward God. Use any or all of these tools every day to help guide you into a deeper connection with God, yourself and others.

7 Ways to Turn Toward God

  1. Become aware of your breathing and notice your mind creating the story like you’re watching a movie. Let the scenes pass by without becoming emotionally engaged. Remember, you are simply watching the scenes from the audience. You aren’t in the movie.
  2. Choose a prayer word or short phrase that you repeat over and over again as needed. My favorite word is “Jesus.” Yours may be “God” or “Yahweh.”
  3. Use your favorite prayer track on the Insight Timer mobile app. My fave is St. Patrick’s Prayer which I recorded to help my soul friends arise out of bed every morning.
  4. Schedule a spiritual direction consult. There are spiritual directors all around the world. Go to sdiworld.org to find someone locally or go to thedeeperconnection.org and book a session to work with me virtually.
  5. Subscribe to The Deeper Connection YouTube channel. You can pray with me and countless other soul friends right on screen.
  6. Download my Wake Up on the Inside Morning Meditation Tool
  7. Purchase my It Is Time CD. If you don’t have time for centering prayer, listening to even one of the teaching tracks will help you turn from your present train of thoughts.

In a simple moment, any or all of these gentle inner ‘turns’ creates the space for faith to move, for the Spirit to breathe and trust emerges.  I can not will the ‘overwhelm’ away.  I can not muster up trust.  I can only choose to be still and let my mustard seed of faith prompt me to turn.  For in that turning, God calms the strongest waves and transformation happens.

Who is Maria?


Maria Gullo is the founder of The Deeper Connection, a ministry dedicated to bringing individuals to inner peace. She is an ordained minister and has spent the past twenty-plus years delivering the message of contemplative Christian spirituality through centering prayer, retreats, workshops, and lectures. Maria’s guided prayer and meditation tools include audio downloads and CDs, available here online as well as on the Insight Timer mobile meditation app. Learn more about Maria.

Maria offers virtual online and private one-on-one Spiritual Direction sessions to help individuals develop a deeper connection, clearer understanding and authentic relationship with God, self and others.

Follow The Deeper Connection @deeperconnects on Twitter, and @thedeeperconnection on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

Maria wants to hear from you! Tell your story or where you are in your journey.

Connect with Maria

Breathing: A Simple Prayer

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Breathing is the simplest prayer taught to me by a 5 year old.

As a 5 year old I remember standing in my bedroom and singing “He’s got the whole world in His hands…” (some of you know the song I’m talking about) adding gestures and movement to every phrase as I passionately belted out the words. I remember thinking about how God might even have me in His hands and my little child’s mind said ‘wow’ as I became enthralled with that mystery.

Later that night laying in bed by myself, somehow I knew I wasn’t really alone. I actually remember becoming aware of my breathing. I felt fearful at first but with my eyes closed I breathed slowly in and out…the fear dissipated into calm and after a time (who knows how long for to a child even 5 minutes feels like forever) I fell asleep. Looking back on that now I believe the Spirit of God reached into that little child and taught her how to pray.

Several decades of living have gone by so quickly and here I am. I awaken in the middle of the night with a number of serious issues on my mind. Singing “He’s got the whole world in His hands” is quite far removed and is certainly not part of the ramblings in my head. Finally I realize all the worrying disguised as ‘thinking things through’ will not impact anything except my lack of sleep. I try to pray but the words sound like noisy chatter echoing back at me.

The dark stillness of the night reminds me I am by myself…but I am not alone. The silent word ‘yes’ rises out of my breath and I remember…simply breathe. As I breathe in I fill my lungs…my mind…my heart with the ‘yes of God’…as I breathe out I release all that is not ‘yes’ within me…all that is burdening me…all that is fear…I breathe in life and I remember the prayer God brought me to when I was too young and innocent to doubt and analyze…consciously breathing…true prayer connecting me with the Presence…and the peace which surpasses all understanding and all circumstances fills my heart and mind.

Who is Maria?


Maria Gullo is the founder of The Deeper Connection, a ministry dedicated to bringing individuals to inner peace. She is an ordained minister and has spent the past twenty-plus years delivering the message of contemplative Christian spirituality through centering prayer, retreats, workshops, and lectures. Maria’s guided prayer and meditation tools include audio downloads and CDs, available here online as well as on the Insight Timer mobile meditation app. Learn more about Maria.

Maria offers virtual online and private one-on-one Spiritual Direction sessions to help individuals develop a deeper connection, clearer understanding and authentic relationship with God, self and others.

Follow The Deeper Connection @deeperconnects on Twitter, and @thedeeperconnection on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

Maria wants to hear from you! Tell your story or where you are in your journey.

Connect with Maria