Live With Intention

Practice the sacrament of the blessed present

This is a workshop for people who love life. And for people who wish to love life but are temporarily stymied. At times we are captives to busyness, disappointment, exhaustion, anger, apathy, an excess of caution, or even a good reputation, and we carry around an unused life–as if life is a savings bond to be withdrawn only when mandatory. To live with intention, we know that the higher goal of spiritual living is not to amass a wealth of information, but to face sacred moments. To practice the sacrament of the blessed present. To be an unabashed Ephod Dancer. To hear the voice of Grace, we invite life in, and in moments of amazement, we render our internal scorekeeper mute. To live with intention we focus on what nourishes our soul. . .stories that send gooseflesh up our arms, or make us want to dance, or what make us love life, laugh and cry all at the same time. I’ve been asked if I were going to heaven tonight if I died, but never how I would live (and love) my life if I lived tomorrow. Let us live with intention.

A Gentle Plea for Chaos

Life as a journey, not a destination

When we are tempted by closure, answers, fixes, and when we are afraid of mystery, journey questions and doubt, we give in to the power of fear. The cultural implication implies that our identity is linked solely to productivity; as if we are owned by the fear of dying without accomplishing everything on our to-do list. "Are we there yet?" It's all about rewriting the codes. We've been wired this way for so long, it's hard to stop. Just learning to say, "I'm doing nothing” or “I’m watching hummingbirds” or “I’m riding my bike pedaling glory,” without a grimace or need for further explanation takes a fortitude and resolve not usually found in our species. “The problem is not simply that we work too much, the problem is that we are working for the wrong reward. . .We are paid in the wrong currency,” Lynne Twist got it right. “What if we were to expand our definition of wealth to include those things that grow only in time–time to walk in the park, time to take a nap, time to play with children, to read a good book, to dance, to put our hands in the garden, to cook playful meals with friends, to paint, to sing, to meditate, to keep a journal.”

Jesus in Skin

On the journey of faith together

No one is a Christian alone. No one. Like it or not, we are on this journey of faith together. We are Brother and Sister. We are community. We are Jesus in skin. And if that is true, it dramatically changes the way we live. Terry talks about four transformations:

1. We give up the need to keep score in our relationships. We realize that we are all broken, and the Grace of God is the glue. We learn to see the face of God in our neighbor.
2. We learn that our identity is no longer dependent on our appearance, affluence or achievement, so we have no need to impress anyone. We can be “real” with one another. We can learn to see what unites us, not what divides us.
3. We learn to receive from one another, and to give to one another without expecting a payoff. We find God’s Grace in places, through people we least expect. We give up control.
4. We make a difference together–to serve, and truly be the presence of Jesus–salt and light to a needy world.

Put on your dancing shoes

You are invited to a party

You ain't seen nothing yet

Real people, real transformation, making a real difference in our world

I always wanted to be somebody; I just should have been more specific. Lily Tomlin was right. We all live with the fantasies that will change our lives for the better. And we read books that promise some new life replete with happiness, success, power and intimacy. Some offer 99 ways, others promise the same results in 7. Terry tells us that it’s not about spiritual coping strategies, life management skills, or discovering the secret manual of life. Transformation happens when we embrace and are embraced by Grace.

• You can’t change anything until you can love it.
• You can’t love anything until you can know it.
• You can’t know anything until you can embrace it.

In Grace you are called to be of all things, YOU. Embraced by grace, we give up the need for closure and control. We learn to live with ambiguity. We are free to risk, to touch other lives, make commitments and embrace a friend. We practice the power of gratitude, giving up our “if onlys.” In Grace, we literally wake up; we become alive in our own skin. Terry will tell stories of transformation, and we will draw from that well—inspiration, hope, affirmation, encouragement, and empowerment.

The Ephod Dance

Life as Risk, Gift, and Celebration

We've been told that life is about achievement, appearance and accomplishment. And so we live hectic and self-conscious, looking over our shoulders to see who is watching and who is judging, always fearing we come up short. We put life and God in a box we hope we can control. We are image conscious and tense. And on the dance floor of life, we become easily afraid. In this workshop, Terry invites us all to dance. To dance as if "nobody is watching." The great Ephod dance of King David. What does it mean to cherish our life, our days, our interruptions, and our friends? What does it mean to live with a heart full of awe and love. . .for God, and for God's creation? Where is the healing power of laughter? What does it mean when God takes the box we've created for control, flattens it, and makes a dance floor, for us to celebrate the risk and gift of life? And what does it mean, when the passion of our dance spills over to those around us?

Soul Gardening

Lessons from the Garden about a few things that matter

People who love this world, people who pay attention, are gardeners, whether or not they have ever picked up a trowel. Because gardening is not just about digging. Gardening is about cherishing. And to cherish, one must be present. Garden columnist, Henry Mitchell, wrote that one day we would all die, but that the questions is how we spent our days. Were we fidgeting over moles and fungi and varmints, or glorying, year by year, in the daffodils? Terry talks about opening our heart to the rhythms of the garden. Learning to practice the sacrament of the blessed present. Working to embrace the demanding marriage of loving and losing. Cultivating appreciation for ordinary gifts of grace, the value of solitude, and the healing power of nature. Terry's stories will lead you to nurture your soul and renew your sense of what it means to live fully alive.

Wonder-bubbles and crayons

Living life as a child

Children live life out loud. Children live without filters. In the middle of lofty expectations about our experience of God and personal growth, this workshop is an invitation to play. With wonder bubbles and crayons. To look at Matthew 18, and ask what it means to become a little child lost in awe and wonder. To remember what it means to see all of life as a gift, and that we are helpless and powerless to add a single inch to our spiritual stature.

Real People, Real Communication

A Balanced Life - Living with Passion, Purpose, Heart and Grace

When it comes to communication, and relationships, it's easy to find someone who will offer five easy steps to success. Terry prefers a different route. He speaks about communication and intimacy as if they were a journey, where we are learning the elements which allow us to communicate clearly by becoming more fully human more fully alive. We learn that healthy relationships are places where...

• We can be thankful for little gifts and small victories.
  Where we can catch those around us doing something right.
  Where we learn to see the sacred in the ordinary.
  Where we honor and celebrate uniqueness and differences.
  Where we can laugh and play.
  
• We don't need to pretend we've got our act together.
  Where we can tear up our score cards.
  Where we don't spend time worrying about what "they" think.
  Where we don't need to continue wondering, "Are we there yet?"
  
• We can receive grace.
  Where we can embrace our fault lines.
  Where we can give up a little control.
  Where we have no need to change or manipulate or fix anyone else.
  Where we know that our identity is not tied to our "performance."
  
• We no longer need for life to be fair.
  Where we give up our need for IF ONLY.
  Where we no longer need to live vicariously through others.
  Where we can give up infinitely preparing to live.
  

How to Be Me...When the World Wants Someone Else

It is a familiar dilemma: feeling caught playing the roles we think other people need us to play.

1. Masks we wear...Roles we play
   A look at the temptations we face regarding our identity. What roles are we tempted to play? And why? Why is it easier to play prescribed roles? Why is it tempting to polish our 'glittering images?' What are we afraid will happen if we begin to look behind the mask?
2. Behind the mask. . .Who or what owns me?
   A look at our 'identity inventory:' what tells us who we are? What are the 'tapes' we play? Is it possible to find acceptance for who we are today? Why are we afraid of unconditional acceptance?
3. And invitation to be human
   Permission to look at life through new glasses. An invitation to celebrate, to feel fully, to enjoy, and to embrace who we are, and the life as it is, not as it should be.

A Few Things That Matter

Fully Human, Fully Alive

Henry David Thoreau reported after a visit to New York City, "I visited New York City last Tuesday, and met no real or living person." Garden columnist, Henry Mitchell, wrote that one day we would all die, but that the questions is how we spent our days. Were we fidgeting over moles and fungi and varmints, or glorying, year by year, in the daffodils?

Indeed. It is the question: What does it mean to embrace life? Living fully alive seems to be an art that we have relegated to the time we have left over, after all the other important stuff gets done. So this is a seminar about not waiting to live intentionally. About being real and living people.

• Learning to be intoxicated with the world around us.
  "Never once in my life did I ask God for success or wisdom or power or fame. I asked for wonder, and he gave it to me."
      ---Abraham Heschel
• Wanting to live and love passionately with no holds barred.
  "Life without moments of intoxication is not worth a pitcher of spit."
      ---Kurt Vonnegut
• Working to embrace the demanding marriage of loving and losing.
  We have a tendency to see life as beginning "if only" and "when." It's difficult to receive the permission to give up being a victim, and embrace the particulars of this life.
• Learning to sit still, in order to rediscover the give of wonder.
  Under the fear of an accusation of laziness, we race and worry–and in the words of Pascal, "by means of a diversion," we avoid our own company twenty-four hours a day. We live perpetually out of breath and out of time. And we moan and complain. All the while buying more gadgets guaranteed to help us catch up.

The Seven Habits of People Who Love Life

1. Life is sacred. Become intoxicated with the world around me.
2. Growth is a Journey. Affirm that my success doesn't require that I arrive.
3. Learn to want what I already hold.
4. Give no heed to public opinion.
5. Practice the art of doing nothing—be embraced by moments of grace.
6. Allow the child in me a wide berth—understand that laughter is prayer.
7. Delight in my friends.

The Essential Facts of Life

One garden columnist wrote: One day we would all die, but the question is how we spent our days. Were we fidgeting over moles and fungi and varmints, or glorying, year by year, in the daffodils?

Indeed! It is the question. What does it mean to embrace life? Living fully alive is an art that we relegate to the time we have left over when all the other important stuff gets done. So this is a seminar about not waiting to live intentionally, but being real and living people:

• learning to be intoxicated with the world around us,
• wanting to live and love passionately with no holds barred,
• working to embrace the demanding marriage of loving and losing,
• and learning to sit still, in order to rediscover the gift of wonder.

The Art of Doing Nothing

Letting Our Souls Catch Up With Our Bodies

We live perpetually out of breath and out of time. And we moan and complain. All the while buying more gadgets guaranteed to help us catch up.

Slowing down, is after all, for people who have the time. We are enamored with speed (we want to relax better and faster, to be on the cutting edge of relaxation)! And clamor for more (which is never enough).

Why is it that we are afraid of slowness? Or stillness? Or silence?

This is a seminar for those of us who want to learn (or practice) the art of doing nothing. It's about what it takes to slow down. Learning to sit still. To relax. Choosing to practice self-nurturing, self-care and self-responsibility. And Sabbath, the Biblical injunction that asks us literally, "to waste time with God."

Looking For Intimacy

Building Healthy Relationships

Where do we go to find love? This seminar looks at: Obstacles we face. The price we have to pay. Myths about Intimacy. Identity. Who owns me? and Steps to becoming intimate.

The Gift Of Friendship

What is a Friend? Are they optional? Or necessary? And why do we need them? This seminar looks at: Receiving the Gift, Learning the Work, Repairing the Fault Lines. And ask the questions: Can men and women be friends? What do we do after a betrayal?

Effective Single Adult Ministry

Concentrated one or two-day workshop focusing on ministry with single adults and young adults, including ministry priorities, program development, leadership cultivation, and ministry direction.