Wise Living Program Overview

Wise Living Tree

Perhaps you find yourself facing the challenges of life with nagging anxiety, longing for the inner peace that Jesus said is available at all times.  Do you wonder if experiencing that peace is possible?

What about those emotional responses and negative thoughts that have been sabotaging how you show up for yourself and for your relationships?

Perhaps you’ve made contemplative prayer a part of your life, and sense, ok, now what?

You’re not alone. You can continue to try to figure out how to maneuver through the pressures of life on your own or you can choose to gain the tools to help you transform from stress to peace

The Wise Living Program is a way for you to experience, learn and grow your way into living a transformed life of peace, joy and freedom, with a community of like-minded, like-hearted soul friends.  The book studies, workshops and retreats are designed to equip you and help you create a new way of living, a way of following Christ that will bring about the whole, true life you were destined to live.

Course 6: Practice of the Presence of God

The Practice of the Presence of GodAre you one of the many people who are trying to get through a day without being overwhelmed with doubt and nagged by anxiety and fear?

This program calls out to those who desire to live in the Presence of God, inviting you to become more aware, intentional and free.

How do you strengthen your faith and nourish your soul when so much in life and the world is doing the exact opposite at every turn: challenging your faith and depleting your soul?

Yet, Jesus said, “I have come that you would have life, and have it more abundantly.” John 10:10.

Our newest course is an invitation into the abundant life. You won’t want to miss this immersion into the Presence of God.

This experience will help you answer:

  • How do I live in the Presence of God moment by moment?
  • How do I stay in peace when life is going up and down like a roller coaster?
  • How do I tell the difference between living in the Presence or in the ego?
  • How will living in the Presence of God impact my life and the world around me?

As we embark on this journey together you can expect to:

  • Strengthen your faith
  • Nourish your soul
  • Feel better equipped to face the uncertainties of life
  • Recognize when you are grounded in the Presence or caught up in life circumstances
  • Have additional spiritual practices for your contemplative prayer tool box

Course 5: Hearing God

Discernment: Practicing the Holy Spirit

Fear and anxiety is at an all time high. All of us long to hear the Voice of God pierce through the chaos and blindness of the world. Whether you’re experiencing this personally or see it in your loved ones and friends, fear is contagious and always ushers in a wave of darkness and doubt.

How do you hear God’s voice in the midst of life? How do you you make good choices and follow the best way for you? The spiritual practice of Discernment is crucial. “Here is the way. Walk in it.” Is. 30:21

All of us want to sense the Presence of God guiding us through life. We want the best for our loved ones. Who among us does not want to live in peace, freedom and joy?

Then there’s this human condition with all of its’ attachments and wounds. Are we always going to be left to our own devices or will God intervene and save us from ourselves as He promises?

Jesus said to His apostles, John 14: 16-17:

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

To stay deeply connected with God and your authentic self takes intention and attention. This Wise Living Program will help you do just that. You can stay on the path that keeps you buried in stress, fear and emotional reactivity or you can participate in this new course and follow the way of peace and true transformation.

Course 4: Wisdom of the Desert

The Way of the Heart book

How you’ve lived your life, up to this point, even as a son or daughter of the Living God, can not be the same way you approach life going forward.  Our country and the world is changing in front of us and we have to be equipped to handle life in the midst of these changes without losing our spiritual equilibrium.

As a follower of Christ how are you able to keep and grow your faith, stay in hope, walk in trust and live peacefully in this tumultuous, chaotic world?  Yes, you are in this world, at this time for God’s purpose and yes, it is possible to be in this world and not a part of it. John 17: 14-16

Learn how the wisdom of the desert can transform your life, bringing you peace, expanding your faith, deepening your love and putting you on a firm foundation for Wise Living.  The wonderful teachings of the ancient desert fathers of the early Christian Church are taught by the insightful, contemplative teacher, Henri Nouwen.  Through unpacking hi book The Way of the Heart, you will come to understand and experience how applying this wisdom to your own life, will transform you. The desert will truly become your place of refuge and strength and, like it did for the Israelites, will lead you into the freedom of God’s promised life for you.

“The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” Exodus 14:14

You’re not alone on this journey called life. The Deeper Connection Community and your soul friends are here to support you.

Course 3: Centering Prayer Experience

The Human Condition

In this chaotic, ever-changing world, what is stabilizing you? When the ground beneath your feet is shaking, what do you do? When the winds of the times suddenly change course, how do you not get tossed around? If we’ve learned anything over the past year, it’s that life can change in a moment’s notice and we have to be ready. But how? The same spiritual practices and life disciplines that may have sustained you during those good old normal days are not enough.

We must make the choices and lifestyle changes that will not just help us cope with the rising tides, but will actually sustain us when people and things around us seem to be in chaos. Addictions, suicides, depression and anxiety are rising. More people are living out of an underlying sense of fear. You may or may not be experiencing these personally, but I’m certain you have loved ones who are. The question is how do you want to live? How can you serve this hurting world?

There is a way to live in this world and not be a part of it. (John 17:16) and now is the time to deepen our understanding of how that is possible. More importantly, it’s necessary to live not conformed to this world, but to live transformed. (Romans 12:2) The discipline of Centering Prayer and the contemplative way of being will hold you steady and help you live a more peace-filled, Christ-centered life.

In this new Wise Living course The Centering Prayer Experience you will have the teaching, support and guidance you need to make Centering Prayer a foundational spiritual practice for your life. If you’re new to Centering Prayer or have been praying in this way for years, matters not. We will begin with a workshop/retreat which will help you get off to a great start. If you’re not able to attend, that’s ok, you can still participate in the six week experience.

As you participate, you will deepen your relationship with God, allowing your true self to emerge in more profound ways. Christianity is a way of transformation and showing up in the world that will truly make a difference. We do not have to be tossed around by codependent relationships and chaotic circumstances. We are given a way to be rooted and grounded in love, peace (shalom) and faith. Centering Prayer will help us on that way.

We will use the book, The Human Condition by Father Thomas Keating as we pray through the next six weeks. It’s a short but engaging book. The challenge is to have two, 20 minute Centering Prayer sits each day, one in the morning and one later in the day. Our Zoom meetings will be Group Spiritual Direction, where we will process and explore God’s invitation of transformation for you.  In addition, you may email Maria with any follow up question after our sessions.

You’re not alone on this journey called life. The Deeper Connection Community and your soul friends are here to support you.

Course 2:  Knowing God

The Cloud of Unknowing book

Purchase book on Amazon

How can you truly know a God you can not see, feel or touch, but only experience?  Better yet, how can you have a personal relationship with this God you can not fully know?  You may have learned the suitable answers from a religious, denominational or biblical perspective to these questions, but now find the answers don’t satisfy you, especially when you‘re faced with the challenges created by a chaotic world and old wounds of the false self.

For Course 2 of our Wise Living Program we will be using The Cloud of Unknowing.   It is one of the greatest adventures to be experienced in book form, for anyone on this Contemplative Christian path.  Its’ author, an unknown monk who lived during the 14th century, has given us a Contemplative Prayer treasure to unpack.  This treasure will surely lead you, if you choose to go, into a deeper, up close and personal relationship with God.  The result, the life of love you were destined to live and long to create.

Through this Zoom class and special private Facebook group you will receive much support and get to know other like-minded, like-hearted soul friends.  If Facebook is a social media platform you use, participation in the private group is highly recommended.  Overall this will prove to be a transforming experience.


Course 1: Choose Gratefulness

Gratefulness, The Heart of Prayer

Purchase book on Amazon

Choose Gratefulness is the first study being offered by The Deeper Connection, that will help you live more fully the transformed, contemplative life in Christ.

We will be using the book: Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer by Brother David Steindl-Rast. (required)

By the end of the class Gratefulness will be woven into the fabric of your being emanating the fruit of the Holy Spirit (joy, peace, love, kindness and patience) as God enlivens the sacred tapestry of your life.

This opportunity promises to be an uplifting and fun experience.

Journey with other soul friends as you develop the (power) tools to add to your Wise Living tool box, that will help you now and always create the beautiful life you desire.

NEW Course 6: Practice of the Presence of God

Mondays, 6:30 – 8:30 pm EST: 10/3, 10/17, 10/24,  11/7, 11/21

The Practice of the Presence of God

Are you one of the many people who are trying to get through a day without being overwhelmed with doubt and nagged by anxiety and fear?

This program calls out to those who desire to live in the Presence of God, inviting you to become more aware, intentional and free.

How do you strengthen your faith and nourish your soul when so much in life and the world is doing the exact opposite at every turn: challenging your faith and depleting your soul?

Yet, Jesus said, “I have come that you would have life, and have it more abundantly.” John 10:10.

Our newest course is an invitation into the abundant life. You won’t want to miss this immersion into the Presence of God.

This experience will help you answer:

  • How do I live in the Presence of God moment by moment?
  • How do I stay in peace when life is going up and down like a roller coaster?
  • How do I tell the difference between living in the Presence or in the ego?
  • How will living in the Presence of God impact my life and the world around me?

As we embark on this journey together you can expect to:

  • Strengthen your faith
  • Nourish your soul
  • Feel better equipped to face the uncertainties of life
  • Recognize when you are grounded in the Presence or caught up in life circumstances
  • Have additional spiritual practices for your contemplative prayer tool box

We will use 2 books:

Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence translated by Harold Chadwick

And Attention/Intention, with 2 versions available:

Hard Copy or Digital Download

COURSE INCLUDES

— Weekly downloadable audio tracks, plus bonus tracks, to guide you through your 7 week experience

— 5 two-hour group classes that will be recorded. If you have to miss a live session, no worries, you will receive the link to view at your convenience.

— Email Maria with your questions and get a personal response

Register

Ready for your journey toward Wise Living? Great!  Simply register and make your payment through the registration form below.  You will then receive a follow-up email with the information you need including access to your downloads and a link to the Zoom meetings only open to the participants of this study.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you hope to achieve during this course, if you like. If there is any specific topic you wish to discuss, please let us know.
Let us know the areas of most interest to you so we can focus our resources to provide the guidance you seek.
$0.00
Highly recommended for anyone signed up for our Wise Living Progam! Includes a free download of our "Arise Today" PDF.

Sign Up

Don’t miss out. Sign up for our wait list to be notified about our next Wise Living Course as soon as more details are available. Guarantee your spot and be one of the first to register and receive early sign up pricing.

Practice of the Presence of God

Status: Registration Open until October 2 at 5 pm EST

Dates: October through November 2022

Where: All events via Zoom (online), in the comfort and safety of your home!

Group Sessions: Mondays, 6:30 – 8:30 pm EST: 10/3, 10/17, 10/24,  11/7, 11/21

Notes: Bring your questions. All are welcome.

Course Includes: See course description above. You’ll also have the opportunity to email Maria with personal follow-up Spiritual Direction questions.

Cost: $127, excludes cost of book. Use the links in the course description above to purchase Practice of the Presence of God and Attention/Intention books.

Materials: Your registration confirmation will contain links to your downloadable Audio Tracks and our Zoom meeting.

Register: Complete the Form Below

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