Summary
In this conversation, Paul emphasizes the importance of educating ourselves before engaging in conversations. He highlights the dangers of speaking without knowledge and the need to seek reliable sources of information. Paul also discusses the benefits of being well-informed, such as increased credibility and a broader perspective. He explores the Franciscan tradition on education and the role of critical thinking in evaluating information. Additionally, Paul emphasizes the importance of fact-checking and understanding both sides of an issue. He encourages approaching conversations with an open mind, respecting different perspectives, and seeking common ground. The goal is to foster understanding, empathy, and productive dialogue through education.
Takeaways
Educate yourself on a subject before engaging in conversations to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts.
Being well-informed increases credibility and broadens perspective, leading to more insightful conversations.
Seek reliable sources of information and fact-check to ensure accuracy.
Understand both sides of an issue to promote empathy and open-mindedness.
Approach conversations with an open mind, listen actively, and seek common ground for productive dialogue.
Chapters
00:00 The Importance of Educating Ourselves
02:05 The Benefits of Being Well-Informed
03:00 The Franciscan Tradition on Education
04:34 Seeking Reliable Sources of Information
06:03 The Role of Critical Thinking
07:02 The Importance of Fact Checking
08:10 Cross-Referencing Information
08:57 Understanding Both Sides of an Issue
10:58 Approaching Conversations with an Open Mind
12:30 Respecting Different Perspectives
13:48 Seeking Common Ground
15:20 The Goal of Constructive Dialogue
17:03 The Power of Education
17:33 Striving for Meaningful and Constructive Dialogues
Produced, Edited and mixed by Paul R. Long
For further Information visit our Website OurWalkTogether.com
or contact: Paul@ourwalktogether.com
Embracing change and seeking out newness in life can lead to personal growth, fulfillment, and transformation. By stepping out of our comfort zones and embracing the unknown, we open ourselves up to new experiences, perspectives, and opportunities. Embracing newness requires a mindset shift, letting go of fear and resistance to change, and viewing it as an opportunity for growth. Surrounding ourselves with diverse perspectives and practicing gratitude and mindfulness can help us break free from the constraints of the past and embrace the possibilities of the future. Embracing newness is not limited by age and can bring excitement and adventure to our lives.
Takeaways
Change is inevitable and can be embraced or resisted.
Embracing newness involves actively seeking out and embracing the unknown.
Embracing change leads to personal growth, expanded horizons, and a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment.
Cultivating a mindset of newness involves letting go of fear and resistance, practicing gratitude and mindfulness, and surrounding ourselves with diverse perspectives.
Chapters
00:00
Embracing Change
02:09
The Concept of Newness
03:08
Benefits of Embracing Change
04:47
Cultivating a Mindset of Newness
06:14
Embracing New Experiences and Opportunities
07:16
The Beauty of Newness
08:02
Staying Open to Newness
09:09
The Transformative Power of Newness
10:02
Embracing Newness at Any Age
11:42
Embracing the Power of Newness
Produced, Edited and mixed by Paul R. Long
For further Information visit our Website OurWalkTogether.com
or contact: Paul@ourwalktogether.com
Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and a time to reflect on the love and hope he brought into the world.
The Franciscan Order has a rich tradition of embracing the simplicity and joy of Christmas, particularly through the portrayal of the Nativity scene.
Christmas traditions vary around the world, but they all highlight the common themes of love, joy, and giving.
The Christmas tree symbolizes eternal life and hope, and decorating it together as a family creates lasting memories and strengthens bonds.
To make Christmas more meaningful, spend quality time with loved ones, engage in acts of kindness, and create meaningful traditions.
Incorporating acts of kindness and charity into Christmas celebrations helps to spread the true spirit of the holiday.
It is important to be inclusive and considerate of those for whom Christmas may be a sad or lonely time.
Embracing the love, joy, and hope of the Christmas season can have a transformative impact on our lives and the lives of others.
Produced, Edited and mixed by Paul R. Long
For further Information visit our Website OurWalkTogether.com
or contact: Paul@ourwalktogether.com
The season of Advent is a time of real significant time in the church. This time marks the beginning of a new liturgical year. It's a time of preparation. It's a time of anticipation as we await the celebration of the birth of Jesus. The word advent comes from the Latin word "adventus", which means coming or arrival. During this sacred time, we reflect on the coming of Christ, his presence in our lives today, and also his promise to return.
Produced, Edited and mixed by Paul R. Long
For further Information visit our Website OurWalkTogether.com
or contact: Paul@ourwalktogether.com
In this episode we talk a little bit about being grateful and being thankful and what are their significance and how to add thankfulness to our every single day.
Expressing gratitude is one way to bond with a higher power also. It's an acknowledgement that the blessings received, the blessings that we receive, are from a divine source and not something that we deserve. When we're thankful, we recognize that there is something beyond.
Expressing gratefulness is more than just being courteous. It's a way of thinking and feeling that recognizes the blessings in our lives, the people who've made them available. We are appreciative and we view the world differently. We concentrate on the positive elements of our existence rather than fixating on the negative. We value individuals surrounding us.d our control and that's something that works in our lives.
Produced, Edited and mixed by Paul R. Long
For further Information visit our Website OurWalkTogether.com
or contact: Paul@ourwalktogether.com
In this episode I talk about the "Dark Night of the Soul" . I explore the meaning of Darkness and what St John of the Cross had to say about it. Advent will soon be here, the season of celebrating the Dark with the anticipation of the Light at Christmas.
It is also a reflection on how we all find ourselves in darkness and the hope of Light
Produced, Edited and mixed by Paul R. Long
For further Information visit our Website OurWalkTogether.com
or contact: Paul@ourwalktogether.com
This episode consists of two parts:
First is a brief summary of new things for the podcast and
Second is a story to reflect on.
Produced, Edited and mixed by Paul R. Long
For further Information visit our Website OurWalkTogether.com
or contact: Paul@ourwalktogether.com
Ruth Ann Angus is currently the Director of Yes, We Can Peacebuilders.
On September 11, 2018, Yes We Can Peacebuilders accepted a proclamation of peace and nonviolence from the Mayor and city council of Moro Bay, California establishing Moro Bay as a Nonviolent City. In September 2022 a second peace proclamation from the current mayor and city council was accepted by Peacebuilders strengthening the City of Moro Bay's dedication to peace and nonviolence through the Nonviolent Cities Project.
Yes We Can Peacebuilders, offers workshops and training for adults and youth on ways nonviolence is fostered, defining nonviolence to aid in the Development of nonviolent communication and strategies for change within ourselves and our community.
Produced, Edited and mixed by Paul R. Long
For further Information visit our Website OurWalkTogether.com
or contact: Paul@ourwalktogether.com
Roger Sessions is one of the founders, developers, Directors, and current President of meditationchapel.org, a nonprofit corporation offering online chapels to meditation groups from around the world to meet virtually and share the gift of silence and stillness. Today there are more than 150 groups meeting on the platform, and more than 8,000 registered users. Perhaps this speaks to you. There is no cost, and it is a truly loving community.
Roger is a graduate of the FinD program, a three year training program for Spiritual Directors run by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and I am commissioned by the Episcopal Church as a Spiritual Director. Until moving to Guatemala in 2017, I was on staff at the Austin Presbyterian Seminary as a Spiritual Director. I have been deeply involved in Prison Ministry.
Meditation Chapel
Meditation Chapel invites meditation groups from every faith tradition to use our online chapels. They invite meditators from all faith traditions to participate in any of the groups. Welcome to the Online Meditation Chapel and our online multi-faith community of contemplatives. If you are called to find the sacred in the stillness, we are here for you.
This is a free site and they do not accept any advertisements. It is a gift of love to each other. l
Meditation Chapel nurtures unity and peace through the sharing of divine stillness and sacred listening. They support groups of all faith traditions in offering and sharing the contemplative experience through the sacramental use of technolog
The desire is to offer you a virtual chapel where you can experience the beauty and community of online meditation groups.
Welcome to the Online Meditation Chapel and our online multi-faith community of contemplatives. If you are called to find the sacred in the stillness, we are here for you.
Produced, Edited and mixed by Paul R. Long
For further Information visit our Website OurWalkTogether.com
or contact: Paul@ourwalktogether.com
The title of this episode gives most of the information about its content. Don shares with the listeners his life. He starts with recounting a childhood of abuse, his encounters with the legal system, his incarceration for many years, and how he found God while in prison and afterward.
Don found his way to the Secular Franciscan order, where he is a professed member. He has served in several different ministries and continues to be of service to the Church.
Don is the author of "From Felon to Secular Franciscan". He writes under the pen name of Don J. Bessette in order to protect his family.
Produced, Edited and mixed by Paul R. Long
For further Information visit our Website OurWalkTogether.com
or contact: Paul@ourwalktogether.com
Amos has spent much of his life studying and practicing Contemplatice and Centering Prayer.
In his own words:
"In my late teens and twenties I was a backpacker and mountain climber. Often times on mountain vistas I had an unmistakable intense feeling that I was part of something sacred and mysterious that was much larger than myself. This led me to explore meditation and Quaker Silent Meetings for Worship.
In 1999 I met the founder of Contemplative Outreach, Thomas Keating. Keating told me, " If you practice Centering Prayer for at least forty minutes a day and if you do extended retreats you will make progress." Throughout my life I gravitated toward athletics and was a competitive wrestler. So, in 1999 I applied my athletic discipline to Centering Prayer, rarely missing the forty minutes a day or the extended yearly retreats.
Through Centering Prayer the tensions I held in my body dissipated and my entire nervous system gradually healed (a tall order for Westerners amped up on caffeine and a go-go-go lifestyle).
The healing effects of Centering Prayer are the saving grace of my life. So, now I feel compelled to share it with others."
This is an episode that could change your life.
Produced, Edited and mixed by Paul R. Long
For further Information visit our Website OurWalkTogether.com
or contact: Paul@ourwalktogether.com
Darryl says: My oldest of two boys, Chase, attended college on a football scholarship. He dropped out in the second semester of his freshman year after developing a drug addiction. When I first learned of Chase's drug habit, I didn't know anything about substance use disorders, and I panicked. I made a lot of parenting mistakes.
Through an intervention, we were able to get Chase into treatment, but I didn't realize the proper role of the family in the recovery process. In some ways I was enabling Chase and doing things that may have contributed to his eventual relapse.
I worried about Chase constantly, but it seemed as though my efforts to help him only made matters worse.
Chase returned home from treatment and was doing well with his recovery at first, but months later, he relapsed and in 2014 at the age of 20, Chase died in a drug-impaired wreck. Chase was a passenger in the front seat of his own car. The 18-year-old driver took her own life 7 months later.
After Chase died, I immersed myself in learning everything I could about substance use disorders. (drug & alcohol addiction).
IN this episode he shares what he has learned.
Produced, Edited and mixed by Paul R. Long
For further Information visit our Website OurWalkTogether.com
or contact: Paul@ourwalktogether.com
Michael has known depression inside and out since childhood, including two hospital stays and multiple suicide attempts. And yet He has a strong faith in God, and has been living out that faith as a parish pastor for the past fifteen years. In his book "Darkwater" (Boyle & Dalton Press, 2022), He tells his life story from the perspective of both depression and faith. He describe it as two voices that he hears constantly -- the "Dark Voice" of depression that tells him that he is worthless and horrible, and the still, small voice of God who whispers to him that he is beloved and worthy. He has a unique perspective to offer as someone with a strong (Lutheran) faith, a deep and thoughtful experience of depression, AND the willingness and desire to be open about both. He believes that he can offer hope to people who live with mental illness, hope that it's okay to struggle with this, that it's not a moral or spiritual failing. And also hope that there is abundant life available no matter what.
Produced, Edited and mixed by Paul R. Long
For further Information visit our Website OurWalkTogether.com
or contact: Paul@ourwalktogether.com
"I'd be happy to share the dark times I went through striving to help others and feeling like I was alone on my journey even though God must have been close by. "
These words in an email from Rob Cook caught my attention. In this episode he explaind what this means to him and what REAL success liooks like.
Rob is a CPA, CFP, Level CFA, and former financial advisor who left his job as an advisor to join a start-up trying to bring the next generation of financial planning software to market.
After becoming a financial advisor, Rob quickly realized that the current model of financial advice was ripe for innovation. When he was approached by his company, he jumped at the chance to help millions of people gain access to real, high quality, truly valuable financial advice, and now proves it's possible by using the tool himself to bring world-class financial expertise to anyone for a fraction of the cost through his business and podcast, Contenders Wanted.
Rob is on a mission to help families solve their money problems without sacrificing what’s most important in life.
Produced, Edited and mixed by Paul R. Long
For further Information visit our Website OurWalkTogether.com
or contact: Paul@ourwalktogether.com
Stephen Snook talks about how he was lead by Jesus to change his life while in jail
Produced, Edited and mixed by Paul R. Long
For further Information visit our Website OurWalkTogether.com
or contact: Paul@ourwalktogether.com
This is myt special Thanksgiving reminder as well as thanks to my listeners.
Produced, Edited and mixed by Paul R. Long
For further Information visit our Website OurWalkTogether.com
or contact: Paul@ourwalktogether.com
I hope to give some additional information and insight into the Secular Franciscans. I talk about their origins, the Rule, and how they function in the world today.
If you would like more information, you can call the central phone number here in the USA: 1-800-Francis 1-800-372-6247.
Produced, Edited and mixed by Paul R. Long
For further Information visit our Website OurWalkTogether.com
or contact: Paul@ourwalktogether.com
Holy Family Farm will be set in a beautiful rural location, separated from the distractions of popular culture. Holy Family Farm is not for a young man’s rehabilitation, but rather, his recognition – his recognition of the true meaning of life, of manhood, of sacrifice, and of his God-given mission in and for the world.
We will employ regenerative agricultural practices to raise organic livestock and produce, and will also manufacture handmade craft goods. These enterprises will support the material needs of the program. Indeed, in the words of the Friars, “We are not trying to run a farm, but trying to run a formation program using a farm”.
We hope that Holy Family Farm will become a beacon, both for young men in formation, as well as for families and friends that share our vision. We envision a place where the faithful can visit and enjoy Christian fellowship and family-building activities.
Companions on the Journey © 1985, Carey Landry and OCP. All rights reserved. Used
with permission. (P) © 1985, OCP. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Produced, Edited and mixed by Paul R. Long
For further Information visit our Website OurWalkTogether.com
or contact: Paul@ourwalktogether.com
Francine Gikow OFS is a professed member of the Secular Franciscan Order. She has spent many years studying and speaking about St Claire of Assisi. Francine wrote the chapter on St. Claire for the Formation Manual of the Secular Franciscans , as well as contributing to Tau-USA, the national newsletter of the Secular Franciscans. Francine also is a member of the National Formation Team.
In this episode, Francine Gikow OFS talks about ST. Claire of Assisi. Francine talks about the life and ministry of St Claire, Her connection to St Francis, and most importantly, ST. Claire's spirituality and way of prayer.
Companions on the Journey © 1985, Carey Landry and OCP. All rights reserved. Used
with permission. (P) © 1985, OCP. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Produced, Edited and mixed by Paul R. Long
For further Information visit our Website OurWalkTogether.com
or contact: Paul@ourwalktogether.com
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