News + New Good Things from Tia Norman “In silence, God ceases to be an object and becomes an experience.” -Thomas Merton Peaceful, Centered + Connected I have wrestled with this segment a lot this week. I have clickety-clacked the letters on this keyboard forward and then deleted everything with one swift highlight of the mouse and a single tap of the backspace key. What is one thing I might offer? It has boiled down to this. You can have peace in knowing we are all allowed our preferences...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
News + New Good Things from Tia Norman New + Good Things Hello friends! I have two new and good things to share with you in between my regularly scheduled letters this month. First, Awakenings (the community I serve as pastor of) was recently featured in a USA Today article titled "As millions leave organized religion, spiritual and secular communities offer refuge." It’s an honor to be recognized for the work we're doing together as a community, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
News + New Good Things from Tia Norman "Relationships are the primary way in which the universe shapes and reshapes itself. In our encounters with one another, we find our true selves." -Fr. Richard Rohr Peaceful, Centered + Connected Much of the great undoing and unknowing in the spiritual—and thus human—journey involves reframing our relationship with God and one another. My work often involves accompanying those transitioning from the center of their religious traditions to the edge of a...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
News + New Good Things from Tia Norman "Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." -Howard Thurman Peaceful, Centered + Connected Somewhere in the silence and stillness, I found myself alive. Somewhere in my aliveness I felt compelled to share this practice of silence with others. I found a community that said, "You can share what makes you come alive as an offering with us." This excited me. So I...
2 months ago • 3 min read
News + New Good Things from Tia Norman "All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone." -Blaise Pascal Peaceful, Centered + Connected True Story: One time my heart was broken so badly I thought I would not recover. I prayed the most important prayer I've probably ever prayed. It was only two words, "Help me." A voice from within said, "Read the Bible." For 365 nights I sat quietly on the floor next to my daughter's bed as she drifted off to sleep and I...
3 months ago • 6 min read
News + New Good Things from Tia Norman There's no place in you where you stop and God begins. -Cynthia Bourgeault Peaceful, Centered + Connected A familiar uncertainty is finding its way to the surface. Our collective gaze is once again intensified and placed on the political climate in the United States as the 2024 election approaches. It is easy to focus on the dysfunction within our political system, and it is also important to remember that we can shift our gaze to the power of one single...
4 months ago • 3 min read
News + New Good Things from Tia Norman A memory without the emotional charge is called wisdom. -Dr. Joe Dispenza Peaceful, Centered + Connected As we continue our journey together in the realm of spiritual growth, I want to share with you the profound healing aspects of the meditation known as Centering Prayer—a practice that continues to transform my life. This week we look at how our wounds connect us to our wholeness. Acknowledging Our Woundedness Many of us carry wounds from past...
4 months ago • 4 min read
News + New Good Things from Tia Norman "Spiritual growth is not about addition but about subtraction. It is not about becoming more but becoming less—less of the ego, less of the unnecessary." -Meister Eckhart Peaceful, Centered + Connected When I reflect on my journey to Centering Prayer and contemplative practices, one period stands out vividly—a time marked by both personal and professional crises. Many of the relationships I cherished were undergoing significant changes; some were even...
4 months ago • 2 min read
News + New Good Things from Tia Norman The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear. -Rumi Peaceful, Centered + Connected The truth is I didn't know what Centering Prayer was and "mysticism" sounded intriguing while at the same time perhaps on the borderline of something God might frown upon. I don't have any words to describe how not knowing what these things were originally has changed everything about my life for the better experientially. It's meditation, it's healing, it's...
5 months ago • 4 min read